U.S. unleashes major strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen: USA says it's also a warning to Iran

The United States unleashed a barrage of air and naval strikes on Saturday against dozens of Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen, marking the opening phase of a bold offensive aimed at prying open the Red Sea’s vital shipping lanes.

Ordered by President Donald Trump, the operation targeted radars, air defenses, missile systems, and drone facilities operated by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, which has choked global trade for months with relentless attacks on merchant vessels. Local Yemeni news outlets and two senior U.S. officials confirmed the scope of the assault, the most significant military move of Trump’s second term, which began in January.

The strikes, launched from fighter jets aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the northern Red Sea, alongside Air Force attack planes and armed drones from regional bases, hit key Houthi strongholds across northern Yemen, including near the capital, Sana. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spearheaded the operation without coalition partners, a shift from the Biden administration’s earlier joint U.S.-British strikes that failed to deter the Houthis. The rebels, who control much of Yemen’s north, have disrupted one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October 2023, attacking over 100 ships with missiles, drones, and explosive-laden speedboats.

Saturday’s bombardment zeroes in on the Houthis’ arsenal—much of it buried in subterranean bunkers and smuggled from Iran—to restore freedom of navigation through the Red Sea, a lifeline for 15% of global trade via the Suez Canal. U.S. officials signaled the campaign could stretch over days, with airstrikes intensifying if the Houthis retaliate. “This is about sending a clear message,” one official said, speaking anonymously as the operation unfolded. The strikes also serve as a warning to Iran, Trump’s broader strategic target, as he seeks a deal to halt its nuclear ambitions while keeping military pressure in reserve.

The Houthis’ campaign, largely dormant after a January Gaza ceasefire, reignited recently with provocative acts: firing a missile at a U.S. F-16 and claiming a downed MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Red Sea—incidents that enraged Trump. Since October 2023, their assaults have forced shipping giants to reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, spiking costs and stoking fears of inflation. The Biden administration’s intermittent strikes—five major joint operations with Britain between January and May 2024—dented Houthi capabilities but couldn’t stop the attacks, leaving hundreds of vessels to detour thousands of miles.

Trump’s team, convened in White House meetings this week with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Michael Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CENTCOM chief Gen. Michael E. Kurilla, finalized the plan Friday. Some aides pushed for a bolder strategy to dismantle Houthi control over northern Yemen entirely, but Trump, wary of a campaign pledge to avoid Middle East quagmires, opted for a targeted approach—for now. “He’s not looking to get bogged down,” a senior official noted, reflecting Trump’s reluctance to escalate beyond securing the sea lanes.

The operation’s timing dovetails with pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who’s urged Trump to join a U.S.-Israel strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, exposed after Israel’s October 2024 bombings shredded Tehran’s air defenses. Trump has resisted, despite hawkish voices in both capitals seeing a rare window to act. The Houthis, hardened by a decade of war against a Saudi-led coalition, remain a stubborn foe, their ideology fusing anti-U.S. and anti-Israel fervor with battle-tested resilience. Past U.S. efforts, including Biden’s redesignation of the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization” in January, have faltered—shipping firms like Maersk still skirt the Red Sea, and Houthi threats persist.

Saturday’s strikes, while a tactical flex, face an uphill battle. U.S. intelligence has long struggled to pinpoint Houthi weapons caches, hidden in underground factories, and their recent threats to hit Israel if Gaza aid stalls suggest defiance endures. As Sana reels from the bombardment—images last month showed its Houthi-held streets—the question lingers: can Trump’s firepower succeed where Biden’s restraint fell short, or will the Red Sea crisis drag the U.S. deeper into Yemen’s chaos?

The New York Times contributed to this article.