In the early hours of Tuesday, significant airstrikes by the United States focused on Yemen’s Houthi rebels, hitting various sites across the country. According to recent reports, one of the attacks in the capital claimed at least two lives and injured over a dozen individuals. The succession of air raids, which have now spanned ten days, aims to curb the influence of the Houthi group, known to threaten international maritime trade and Israel.
This offensive by the United States falls under a broader strategy led by President Donald Trump to place pressure on Iran, widely known as the Houthis’ primary ally. Despite the intensity of the air raids, detailed information on the precise targets within Yemen remains mostly undisclosed. However, Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, suggested that critical Houthi figures, including their chief missile expert, have been eliminated. Yet, the Houthis themselves have yet to confirm or address these claims, often underplaying their casualties while overstating the efficacy of their assaults on U.S. naval assets.
In a recent interview, Waltz informed the public that U.S. forces had successfully targeted critical infrastructure including the Houthis’ headquarters, their communication systems, weapon manufacturing facilities, and drone-producing centers. On Sunday, a notable U.S. strike targeted a western district of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. This incident resulted in two fatalities and at least 13 injuries, as per SABA news, the rebel-controlled news agency. Visual evidence from the scene depicted the destruction and bloodshed amidst the debris, while neighboring structures were left intact, implying the use of smaller-yield munitions during the attack.
The Houthis have detailed further American strikes in other regions such as Saada, a known stronghold, as well as in the strategic port city of Hodeida, and in Marib province, which contains crucial oil and gas reserves. These military actions continued well into Tuesday as the Houthis launched a retaliatory missile attack on Israel.
The U.S.-led aerial campaign initiated on March 15 due to the Houthis’ threats to target “Israeli” vessels amid ongoing tensions over the blockade of aid to the Gaza Strip by Israel. Historically, the Houthis have ambiguously defined “Israeli” ships, reflecting a potential threat to other international maritime crafts as well.
Previously, from November 2023 through January, the Houthis aggressively targeted over 100 merchant vessels using missiles and drones, sinking two of them and resulting in the deaths of four sailors. Despite failed attempts to strike American warships, these attacks dramatically heightened the international profile of the Houthis. This comes at a time when the rebel group faces economic strain and conducts a harsh crackdown on internal dissent and aid workers within their territories, in a war-weary Yemen, still grappling with prolonged civil unrest.