By Eldad Shavit
The large-scale US military operation against Houthi strongholds in Yemen continues, with the stated goal of restoring deterrence and ensuring freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf.
Senior U.S. officials have backed the military actions with strong statements, vowing that operations will continue until the Houthis declare they have ceased attacks on vessels and/or lose the ability to attack ships.
At the same time, the administration has used the campaign to warn Iran against supporting the group, with President Trump declaring, “Iran should be careful because we will hold it fully accountable, and we will not play nice.”
The Houthis, for their part, continue to issue statements reaffirming their determination not to surrender and even attempted, unsuccessfully, to attack the US aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman.
At this time, there are no reliable reports on the extent of the damage caused by the attacks, other than statements from senior U.S. officials claiming that infrastructure and key figures within the organization have been hit.
In addition to weakening the Houthis' ability and resolve to threaten maritime routes, the administration seeks to bolster its credibility by demonstrating strength.
A key objective of the Trump administration appears to be to use this campaign to pressure Iran to accept the US president's negotiation offer, based on the conditions outlined in a letter (the contents of which have not yet been revealed) sent to Iranian leaders.
Furthermore, US envoy Witkoff, who is leading negotiations with Hamas on a hostage deal, has used the operation in Yemen to send a firm message to the group: “The window of opportunity is closing rapidly; you saw what happened in our attack against the Houthis.”
The real test for the US administration will be its determination to sustain the operation at its current intensity over time, particularly in the face of the Houthi resistance.
Even more critical is his willingness to translate his repeated threats to "open the gates of hell" into concrete action if Iran and Hamas do not comply with his demands.
Source: INSS – The Institute for National Security Studies