A fighter jet takes to the skies, aimed at an undisclosed mission against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, captured in a still from a video handout released on March 18, 2025. This visual, courtesy of US CENTCOM via X/Handout through REUTERS, is just a fragment of a larger, more complex story. Purchase Licensing Rights
In a nocturnal display of military might, the United States launched a series of airstrikes targeting several locations in Yemen. Among these locations were Saada province, reputed to be a long-standing sanctuary for the Iran-aligned Houthi leadership, and the bustling Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. The actions have left ripples of concern and speculation.
Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV reported an excess of 10 airstrikes targeting areas such as the Al-Safra district in Saada. This region is more than just a simple locale; it is considered to hold critical weapon storage facilities and training sites, fortified as one of the group’s paramount military defenses according to Yemeni sources. The stakes appear higher than ever.
Initiated on a Saturday, this significant military operation is a direct response to the Houthis’ hostile actions against vessels navigating the Red Sea. It marks the largest U.S. military intervention in the Middle East since President Donald Trump assumed office in January. One might ponder the scale and implications of such an operation. What drives these confrontations to spill into global corridors?
The Houthi insurgents, aligned with Iran, have executed more than 100 assaults on maritime shipping following the outbreak of conflict between Israel and Hamas in late 2023. They assert these aggressive maneuvers are in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza. These disruptions of global commerce thrust the U.S. military into a costly venture aimed at intercepting incoming missiles. What price does peace exact on the world stage, one might ask?
As tensions escalate, Houthi leaders have vowed to intensify their campaigns against U.S. actions. Jamal Amer, serving as the Houthi foreign minister, communicated to Reuters from Sanaa on Monday, “Now, we perceive Yemen as embroiled in a war with the U.S., and therefore, we claim the right to deploy all possible means of defense. Further escalation is a distinct possibility.”
The Houthis are intrinsically linked to what experts term the “Axis of Resistance”—an anti-Israel and anti-Western coalition encompassing groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and armed factions in Iraq, each supported by Iran. This axis raises a fundamental question: How does this network influence regional stability?
President Trump issued a staunch warning, holding Iran accountable for future Houthi aggressions and threatening severe repercussions. This rhetoric adds fuel to an already volatile situation. In a parallel development, two Iranian officials conveyed to Reuters that Iran had expressed a desire for the Houthis to temper their provocations.
LEADERSHIP IN HIDING
The Houthis, who have gained control over much of Yemen within the past decade, announced just last week their intent to recommence targeting Israeli ships. This followed a temporary lull in Red Sea hostilities after a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this January.
Under the charismatic leadership of Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the group’s ranks have swelled into the tens of thousands, complemented by a sophisticated array of drones and ballistic missiles. However, facing renewed airstrikes under the former U.S. administration of President Joe Biden, the Houthis strategically redistributed their weapon stocks away from known military sites, according to Yemeni informants.
In a bid for survival, they have constructed new defenses, including trenches and bunkers, to elude U.S. targeting efforts. This adaptive strategy has forced key Houthi figures into obscurity, with some going so far as to deactivate or dispose of their mobile devices to evade detection, thereby severing communication lines.
In a moment both striking and somewhat theatrical, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the militia’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee, was spotted, cleverly concealed as a civilian passenger on a bus. This sighting, disseminated through social media just two days prior, preceded a public address made in Sanaa’s Sabeen Square. Such instances evoke images of historical figures who navigated precarious times, relying on guile and subterfuge.
This Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a renewed wave of airstrikes on Gaza, which prompted the Houthis to threaten an expansion of their operations targeting Israel should the “aggression” against Gaza persist.
Curiously, the Houthis’ military spokesman claimed, albeit without substantiated evidence, that assaults had been carried out against the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman stationed in the Red Sea.
A contrasting narrative emerged from a U.S. official on Sunday, revealing that American forces successfully intercepted and downed 11 Houthi drones, none of which approached the Truman. Additionally, a tracked missile landing harmlessly off Yemen’s coast was assessed as non-threatening. These incidents display the intricate chess game of military engagements.
Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari, Ahmed Tolba; writing by Jana Choukeir; Editing by Michael Georgy and Ros Russell
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
