Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs The Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis have continued to launch missiles against targets in the Red Sea and towards Israel despite nearly a week of U.S. airstrikes targeting the group in Yemen to stop such attacks.Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for comment.Why It MattersEscalating conflict in the Red Sea region threatens to disrupt a vital global shipping route, potentially driving up goods prices. The United States, motivated by its strategic interest in defending Israel and maintaining regional stability, has stepped up efforts against the Houthi group — labelled a terrorist organization.U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed the destruction of the terrorist-designation Houthi group in Yemen following their launch of hundreds of missiles at ships in the Red Sea.What To KnowThe group, known as Ansar Allah, said it escalated their targeting of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and its affiliated warships with ballistic and cruise missiles. “The Red Sea is not part of the United States, and Yemen has the right to defend itself,” a Houthi spokesperson said on Thursday.On March 15, CENTCOM initiated an operation consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen, citing the need to restore freedom of navigation.
President Trump said that the Houthis face inevitable and escalating destruction and warned Iran to stop supplying the Yemeni militant group.Ansar Allah also fired rockets at Israel on Thursday following its renewed airstrikes on Gaza, with warning sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. Israeli media reports say the U.S. urged Israel not to retaliate, saying that they would respond instead.
This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025.
This image taken from video provided by the U.S. Navy shows an aircraft launching from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea before airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, March 15, 2025.
U.S. Navy/AP
U.S. Needs More to Deter HouthisThe United States may need to adapt a more comprehensive strategy to successfully deter the Houthis and curb Iran’s influence in the region, a number of think-tank experts said in published analyses since the U.S. began its military operation.”Airstrikes alone have not been enough to dislodge them, as they’ve adapted with asymmetric tactics, fortified defenses, and, most critically, sustained support from Iran,” said Andrew Borene, a member of the Atlantic Council’s Counterterrorism Project.Analysts say there must be a stronger united front against the Houthis and more coordination with allies in the Middle East as well as the efforts to strengthen the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen.”Washington must avoid acting in Yemen without at least coordinating with its regional allies in the Gulf, specifically the UAE and Saudi Arabia. At the very least, these two countries – who have experienced a failed war against the Houthis – understand what strategies do not work with the group and in Yemen overall,” Chatham House’s Middle East and North Africa Programme Fellows Farea Al-Muslimi and Thomas Juneau wrote.What People Are SayingU.S. President Donald Trump: “Iran must stop the sending of these supplies IMMEDIATELY. Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly.”Yemen’s Houthi Military Spokesperson Yahya Sarea: “The United States is mobilizing its forces to protect terrorism in the Middle East and is draining billions of dollars from American taxpayers to fight against the people in order to protect terrorism. The United States should leave the region and leave Israel alone. Israel is an enemy of Islam and Muslims.”Fawaz Gerges, Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science: “The Trump administration has made it very clear that it will not stop attacking the Houthis in Yemen unless the Houthis basically stop attacking the shipping lanes in the Red Sea and we know that the Houthis won’t stop unless there’s a ceasefire in Gaza. It seems that the Trump administration wants to send a powerful message to Iran that what’s happening in Yemen could happen to you, you have to come and sit down and talk about your nuclear program.”What Happens NextThe U.S.-Houthi conflict looks set to intensify alongside the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with the United States finding it hard to deliver a devastating blow from the air.
