The Houthis are the last proxy of the Shiite axis that have neither reassessed their actions nor restrained their weapons. Throughout the campaign against the Yemenite terrorist organization, the US-led coalition has made operational mistakes: Houthi regime infrastructure was not targeted; the organization’s leaders were not eliminated; no sustained operational continuity was maintained—only actions to remove immediate threats; no ground operations took place, not even special forces missions; and Iran has not paid a price for its proxy’s actions.
Did last night mark the long-awaited shift? Hopefully, yes. This is Trump’s first test of power projection, which will frame all the threats he has issued until now. If we witness something extraordinary, then the diplomacy of “Opening the Gates of Hell” will continue to be effective. But if this does not stop the Houthis, it will project weakness—not just toward Hamas but primarily toward Iran—and Trump’s power diplomacy will be seen as hollow. The true test is one of output, not input. The only question that matters is not how many strikes the U.S. carries out, but whether the Red Sea reopens to all vessels. We will wait and see—for now, things look brighter than they did before.
The Houthis are the last proxy of the Shiite axis that have neither reassessed their actions nor restrained their weapons. Throughout the campaign against the Yemenite terrorist organization, the US-led coalition has made operational mistakes: Houthi regime infrastructure was not targeted; the organization’s leaders were not eliminated; no sustained operational continuity was maintained—only actions to remove immediate threats; no ground operations took place, not even special forces missions; and Iran has not paid a price for its proxy’s actions.
Did last night mark the long-awaited shift? Hopefully, yes. This is Trump’s first test of power projection, which will frame all the threats he has issued until now. If we witness something extraordinary, then the diplomacy of “Opening the Gates of Hell” will continue to be effective. But if this does not stop the Houthis, it will project weakness—not just toward Hamas but primarily toward Iran—and Trump’s power diplomacy will be seen as hollow. The true test is one of output, not input. The only question that matters is not how many strikes the U.S. carries out, but whether the Red Sea reopens to all vessels. We will wait and see—for now, things look brighter than they did before.