The large-scale military operation launched by the United States against Houthi strongholds in Yemen is ongoing, with the declared goal of restoring deterrence and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf. Senior US officials have accompanied the military actions with firm statements, vowing that operations will continue until the Houthis either declare they have ceased attacks on vessels and/or lose the capability to strike ships. At the same time, the administration has leveraged the campaign to warn Iran against supporting the group, with President Trump stating, “Iran should be careful because we will hold it fully accountable, and we will not be nice.”
The Houthis, for their part, continue to issue statements reaffirming their determination not to surrender and even attempted—unsuccessfully—to attack the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. At this stage, there are no reliable reports on the extent of the damage caused by the strikes, aside from statements by senior US officials claiming that infrastructure and key figures within the organization have been hit.
Beyond weakening the Houthis’ ability and resolve to threaten shipping lanes, the administration seeks to reinforce its credibility by demonstrating strength. A key objective of the Trump administration appears to be using this campaign to pressure Iran into accepting the American president’s offer to negotiate, based on conditions outlined in a letter (whose contents have not yet been disclosed) sent to the Iranian leadership. Additionally, US envoy Witkoff, who is leading negotiations with Hamas over a hostage deal, has used the Yemen operation to send a firm message to the group: “The window of opportunity is closing fast—they saw what happened in our strike against the Houthis.”
The real test for the US administration will be its determination to sustain the operation at its current intensity over time, particularly in the face of Houthi resistance. Even more critically, it will be judged on its willingness to translate its repeated threats of “opening the gates of hell” into concrete action should Iran and Hamas fail to comply with its demands.
The large-scale military operation launched by the United States against Houthi strongholds in Yemen is ongoing, with the declared goal of restoring deterrence and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf. Senior US officials have accompanied the military actions with firm statements, vowing that operations will continue until the Houthis either declare they have ceased attacks on vessels and/or lose the capability to strike ships. At the same time, the administration has leveraged the campaign to warn Iran against supporting the group, with President Trump stating, “Iran should be careful because we will hold it fully accountable, and we will not be nice.”
The Houthis, for their part, continue to issue statements reaffirming their determination not to surrender and even attempted—unsuccessfully—to attack the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. At this stage, there are no reliable reports on the extent of the damage caused by the strikes, aside from statements by senior US officials claiming that infrastructure and key figures within the organization have been hit.
Beyond weakening the Houthis’ ability and resolve to threaten shipping lanes, the administration seeks to reinforce its credibility by demonstrating strength. A key objective of the Trump administration appears to be using this campaign to pressure Iran into accepting the American president’s offer to negotiate, based on conditions outlined in a letter (whose contents have not yet been disclosed) sent to the Iranian leadership. Additionally, US envoy Witkoff, who is leading negotiations with Hamas over a hostage deal, has used the Yemen operation to send a firm message to the group: “The window of opportunity is closing fast—they saw what happened in our strike against the Houthis.”
The real test for the US administration will be its determination to sustain the operation at its current intensity over time, particularly in the face of Houthi resistance. Even more critically, it will be judged on its willingness to translate its repeated threats of “opening the gates of hell” into concrete action should Iran and Hamas fail to comply with its demands.