In US fresh attacks on Houthis, what are Trump’s new objectives?

The United States carried out more than 40 strikes this week across Yemeni territory, including the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, the northern Sadaa governorate, and the Hodeidah Port, in what Washington called "precise strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets."

"To all Houthi terrorists, your time is up and your attacks must stop," US President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social in a speech to Iran and the Houthis (Ansar Allah).Iran insists that its support for Houthi terrorists end immediately. Two days later, Trump reiterated that the Houthi attacks "emanate from, and are created by Iran." Additionally, he stated that the Houthis would "suffer consequences" because every shot they fired would be perceived as coming from Iran.

In response to their reciprocal, increasingly aggressive rhetoric, the Houthis have claimed to have attacked US warships in the Red Sea, including the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its strike group, using ballistic and cruise missiles (the Houthis claimed three attacks on the carrier in 48 hours, on its Telegram channels).

Why did the United States attack the Houthis recently?

The Houthis' casus belli is inextricably linked to the fighting in Gaza, which resumed in defiance of the ceasefire on March 17 with a new Israeli military invasion in Jabalia.

Due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea that have disrupted shipping lanes and forced ships to circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope, which is located all the way below Africa, insurance rates for those who have continued to sail through the Bab-el-Mandeb (basically the link between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean) have skyrocketed since December 2023.

The new anti-Houthi measures align with the US strategy. In January 2024, former President Joe Biden designated the Houthis as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (without re-designating them as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, or FTO), and the US Navy began leading Operation Prosperity Guardian in December 2023. The American casus belli has long been linked to the disruption of both domestic and international shipping. avoiding these disruptions.

What does Trump want to achieve?

The first Trump administration's direct military action in Yemen did not target the Houthis, despite the fact that the United States has been backing the Saudi-led coalition's Operation Restoring Hope against the Houthis since 2015. The US Central Command made public declarations between 2017 and 2020 stressing the importance of focusing on Al Qaeda and Islamic State in Yemen rather than Ansar Allah. The latter were a more exclusive group at the time, focusing on the civil unrest and aggression of the Arab states. The events in the Red Sea over the last 15 months, which have drawn American military attention, have obviously changed this.

Trump's spectacular attack on the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, however, may also be an attempt to prevent a direct escalation or full-scale conflict with Tehran while signaling that the United States is ready to use force if Tehran rejects Trump's demands for nuclear talks.

Trump's social media posts, which increase pressure on Tehran, are fueling the Iran-affiliated objective.

How do the Houthis stand?

The Houthis are well-versed in weathering operations, which primarily employ airstrikes. According to the Yemen Data Project, the group repulsed at least 20,000 airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition between 2015 and 2023. Additionally, the Houthis have been assimilating the knowledge gained by other groups for decades.

To varied degrees, the majority of the Houthi's anti-ship cruise missiles are modified versions of the outdated Chinese C-802 Saccade missile design. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow and the Houthis have interacted more frequently, demonstrating Russia's growing relations with the group. According to reports, Russia is now considering increasing small arms deliveries and providing the organization with targeting intelligence in addition to modern anti-ship missiles. Therefore, as many American analysts also believe, intermittent US military operations by themselves will weaken but not completely eradicate the Houthis' offensive capabilities.