U.S. Launches Airstrikes on Houthi Targets in Yemen

What Happened?

U.S. warplanes struck multiple Houthi targets in Yemen.

It included drone launch facilities, air defense sites and radar installations. President Trump issued a statement saying that Houthi attacks on ships at sea would not be tolerated while vowing to use “overwhelming and lethal force until our objectives are achieved.” 

President Trump also issued a statement to Tehran, warning the ruling regime in Iran to stop providing arms and material to the Houthi in Yemen. There was no immediate response from Iranian officials or state television.

Why it Matters

The airstrikes by the Trump Administration are a continuation of the policies carried about by the Biden Administration, who also devoted considerable resources to destroying Houthi targets in Yemen. 

With mostly Iranian support, the Houthi have evolved from a poorly trained and ill-equipped faction to the most well-trained and heavily armed group in control of Yemen’s government. 

Nearly ten percent of global shipping passes by the coast of Yemen as ships head to or from the Suez Canal, providing the Houthi with ample maritime targeting opportunities. Because the Houthi have targeted so much shipping, commercial shippers have altered their routes, adding both time and expense which consumers worldwide have felt.

At their peak, U.S. military operations were hitting hundreds of Houthi targets a month under the Biden Administration. But due to Iranian support, much of the equipment and material destroyed has been replaced. 

Tehran usually downplays it responses to threats from the U.S. to stop supporting the Houthi, since the regime doesn’t officially acknowledge its Houthi support. Iranian leaders prefer not to talk about the issue at all lest they anger the Iranian public, most of whom are not in favor of sending arms to Yemen. 

The Houthi claim to only attack ships they believe are going to or coming from Israel, which pleases the rulers of Iran. However, the truth is more complicated, as the Houthi also have a long track record of piracy, which they have expanded thanks to arms and training from Iran. 

In actual practice the Houthi hit as many ships for profit as they do for purely political reasons, and its quite likely Tehran doesn’t mind as long as they get a cut of the profits. 

American military forces have proven effective at destroying Houthi military targets, which disrupts both Houthi piracy and anti-Israel activities. But as long as the Iranians continue to supply the Houthi with equipment, U.S. military strikes will only provide temporary relief to the Houthi problem. 

How it Affects You

Global consumers have been paying higher prices on range of goods and one of the reasons why is the disruption to shipping caused by the Houthi. 

Houthi attacks on commercial shipping are likely to resume as soon as the damage from the most recent U.S. airstrikes has been repaired.