Significant Achievements but Still Not Sufficient: The American Campaign Against the Houthis—A Situation Report | INSS
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Home Posts Significant Achievements but Still Not Sufficient: The American Campaign Against the Houthis—A Situation Report

Significant Achievements but Still Not Sufficient: The American Campaign Against the Houthis—A Situation Report
Danny Citrinowicz
3 April, 2025

The US military, led by the US Central Command (CENTCOM) and under the directive of President Trump, began a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on March 15. This comes in response to their disruption of shipping routes in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait as a protest against the cessation of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The US military has had several significant achievements in the campaign against the Houthis. For the first time, these strikes, led by the aircraft carrier Truman and mainly targeting the capital Sana'a and Saada (the center of Houthi activity), have dealt a significant blow to the Houthi leadership. It appears that the United States succeeded in eliminating a series of senior figures, including the head of the naval unit, the commander of the ground forces, the head of the National Security Agency, the commander of the missile unit, the head of military intelligence, and the commander of the Republican Guard. Additionally, the Houthis' production and launching capabilities in Yemen appear to have been damaged.

However, despite the damage to the Houthis’ capabilities, it has not diminished their desire to continue both the campaign against the US presence in the Gulf and the missile fire toward Israel. They remain highly motivated to do so. It is clear that the pressure exerted by the United States, particularly the continuous strikes and the creation of a sense of pursuit among the Houthi leadership, makes it very difficult for the Houthis to execute their military plans. Despite their occasional missile launches, the pressure is taking its toll. The Houthis, who have endured a long campaign against Saudi Arabia for years, have managed to make adjustments that allow them to maintain operational continuity of their systems. Nevertheless, it appears that the American ability to strike night after night, thanks to precise intelligence, significantly hinders their ability to carry out their military plans.

In the background, it is worth noting that President Trump’s threats against Iran and his willingness to hold Tehran accountable if it continues to support the Houthis have been taken seriously by the Iranian leadership, which publicly has tried to distance itself from the events in Yemen. This is evident from the visit of Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani to Baghdad, as Iran also ensures that other “proxies” do not act against the United States, given the growing tension between Tehran and Washington and Iran's fear of an American attack. However, the fact that despite these threats, the United States still refrains from implementing them in practice, despite the continued Houthi fire, could lead to the erosion of American deterrence against Iran (precisely when the actions in Yemen increase Iran’s hesitation to engage in a campaign against the United States) and, consequently, may affect the trust of US allies in the Gulf, especially those who see the Houthis as an immediate and significant threat.

Bottom Line:
The US military has achieved several significant successes in the campaign against the Houthis so far, but these achievements still do not diminish the Houthis' determination to continue the campaign. Therefore, the administration has no choice but to continue hitting the Houthis night after night until they reach their breaking point and are willing to cease fire. At present, it seems that this goal is still far from being achieved, and therefore, the campaign in Yemen is likely to continue for many more weeks.

Topics: Swords of Iron War, Yemen and the Houthi Movement
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      • Europe
      • Iran and the Shi'ite Axis
      • Iran
      • Lebanon and Hezbollah
      • Syria
      • Yemen and the Houthi Movement
      • Iraq and the Iraqi Shiite Militias
      • Conflict to Agreements
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      • Hamas and the Gaza Strip
      • Peace Agreements and Normalization in the Middle East
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