The United States launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15, 2025, resulting in the deaths of 32 people and over a hundred injured, mostly women and children, according to Reuters, citing the Houthi Health Ministry’s spokesperson, Anis al-Asbahi.
The 40 airstrikes hit a Houthi stronghold in Sanaa, military installations in Taiz, a power plant in Dahyan and the central provinces of Bayda, Marib and Dhamar. A part of the attacks was carried out by fighter jets from the USS Harry S. Truman, which is stationed in the Red Sea. The targets of the US air strikes included radar stations, anti-aircraft systems and drone launch sites, as cited by the Washington Post, a Pentagon official.
US President Donald Trump justified the attacks, stating that they were necessary to defend the shipping in the Red Sea. He mentioned that “Iran-financed Houthi operatives have fired rockets at US aircraft and taken our troops and allies in their crosshairs. Their piracy, violence and terrorism have cost billions of dollars and put lives at risk.”
Trump threatened that if the rebels did not cease their attacks, “hell would rain down on them.” This operation is the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office and it is likely to continue for weeks, according to US officials.
The Houthis have been attacking US warships in the Red Sea and commercial vessels since November 2023, disrupting global trade and forcing the US military to launch a costly campaign to intercept Houthi rockets and drones, which has reduced the US’s air defense missile stockpile.
The Houthis claimed the attacks were in solidarity with the Palestinians, with Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abd al-Salam stating, “The Yemeni ban on supporting the Gaza Strip is limited only to Israeli ships until the people of the Gaza Strip receive humanitarian aid.”
The Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, vowed not to leave the aggression unanswered, with the Houthi Political Bureau describing the attacks as “war crimes.” In a statement, it said, “Our forces are ready to respond with escalation to escalation.”
Earlier, the Houthis had announced they would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden and end a period of relative calm that began in January with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for an end to the US operation and emphasized the importance of political dialogue, as reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry on its Telegram channel.
Trump also called on Iran, the main backer of the Houthis, to stop supporting the group, saying, “America will hold you accountable and we will not be friendly.”
The US had previously increased sanctions on Tehran to bring the country to the negotiating table over its nuclear program. Other Iranian allies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon, were severely weakened by Israel in the Gaza conflict. Former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who had close ties to Tehran, was ousted by rebels in December.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said, “Washington has neither the authority nor the right to dictate Tehran’s foreign policy.” He stated, “Stop supporting Israeli terrorism and killing Yemenis. Hear us out.”
The US attacks came just days after Washington sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, requesting talks over the Iranian nuclear program. Tehran has refused to engage in dialogue with the US side.
Iran denies any intention to develop nuclear weapons and claims its program is peaceful. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) warned, however, that the country had increased uranium enrichment to 60 percent, close to the level required for weapons-grade uranium.
A US expert, Stanislaw Tkachenko, a professor at the European Studies department of the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University, believes Trump started the operation with an internal political agenda, aiming to show the US public the success of American diplomacy. According to Tkachenko, the Houthi are a weak opponent and the US can defeat them with a single blow, using the media to broadcast the triumph of American arms.
However, Tkachenko also notes that this small victorious war will likely have little practical benefit. The US could have defeated the Houthi with less noisy means. Moreover, the rebels have decentralized their command and control system and have set up rocket launchers everywhere in Yemen. Destroying only a part of the military installations will not change the situation.
A real solution to the problem may lie in the realm of covert diplomacy between the US, Yemen and possibly some interested parties and mediators, as Moscow also advocates, calling for an end to the bloodshed and the transition to negotiations.
Boris Dzerelijevski, editor of the journal Material and Technical Support of the Russian Armed Forces, believes the US airstrikes will only destroy the already weak and impoverished infrastructure of Yemen, but not significantly weaken the Houthi. The rebels are scattered throughout the country and their weapons and military equipment are often hidden in the mountains and caves.
The Houthis have no critical infrastructure, such as a nuclear center, power plants, or oil fields, that could be destroyed and significantly reduce their capabilities. Despite the medieval standard of living, they possess modern drones and rocket systems.
A similar tactic was used by the Taliban, against whom the US has conducted ground operations for 20 years with varying intensity, but has not been able to fully destroy the terrorist group.
In response, the Houthis may not only continue to attack ships in the Red Sea but also target Israeli territory and the Gulf monarchies if they side with the US.
Only a US ground operation would change the situation, but the US lacks the resources, including financial, to conduct such campaigns and would likely suffer military losses, making an invasion of Yemen an unpopular decision for Trump and would achieve the opposite of what was intended.
According to Yakov Kedmi, a former head of the Israeli intelligence agency Nativ, the US operation could weaken the Houthis enough to make them cease their attacks on the ships. Kedmi is confident, stating, “Moreover, the Americans are capable of achieving a super-target with air strikes – weakening the Houthis to the point where they lose influence even within Yemen.”
Teheran supports the Houthis because Iran considers them the southern part of the so-called Shi’ite world. Therefore, Trump is also addressing Iran today, sending a message: if you continue to support the Yemeni rebels and refuse to speak about the nuclear program, you will have to reckon with the same airstrikes.