The US military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen was unnecessary and unlikely to succeed in halting attacks on Red Sea shipping. Early reporting on President Trump’s decision to abruptly halt the campaign suggests he reached the same conclusion. Thirty days into the airstrikes, the US still hadn’t established air superiority over the group, and when asked to report on results, it’s telling that the best success metric CENTCOM could offer was data on how many munitions were dropped. Instead of pursuing a military strategy of dubious value, the Trump administration should push harder for a ceasefire in Gaza, which would settle the Houthis’ core grievance, further US interests, and make for good policy on its own merits.
Bombing the Houthis was misguided because their attacks on Red Sea shipping have caused little harm to the US or the global economy. Despite the hype, the Houthis are not why eggs cost $10 per dozen. The recent wave of high inflation started during the COVID pandemic in 2021 — two years before the Houthis targeted global shipping — and inflation has actually decreased since Houthi attacks began.
Featuring
More on Middle East
Events on Houthis
