A barefooted Yemeni Houthi fighter storming a Saudi machine gun position
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In January 2024, the nine years long war Saudi Arabia waged against Yemen had just calmed down after the Saudis had been mostly defeated, the Houthi movement declared to shut down Israel related traffic through the Red Sea. The move was made in solidarity with the besieged people in Gaza.
To cover for Israel's genocide in Gaza the U.S. and UK decided to fight down the Houthi and to reestablish marine traffic through the Red Sea. Their bombing campaign showed little results.
Eight month later a hawkish British commentator conceded defeat:
The Houthis have defeated the US Navy – Telegraph, Aug 24 2024
Soon thereafter the Biden administration recognized that the effort was useless and refrained from launching further strikes on Yemen.
In March 2025 the Trump administration repeated the error of the previous U.S. regime and engaged in a new bombing campaign against Yemen:
Announcing Saturday's strikes, Trump said "we will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective".
"Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies," Trump said on social media, adding that their "piracy, violence, and terrorism" had cost "billions" and put lives at risk.
Addressing the Houthis directly, Trump wrote that if they did not stop, "HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE".
But the Houthis have been unwavering in their response, saying the aggression would not diminish their support for Palestinians.
I made a short comment on the renewal of the U.S. bombing campaign:
- Bombing Yemen is stupid. The Saudis tried for years to get their way by doing that and were defeated.
- Yemen can and does shoot back.
- It is only a question of time until it hits a U.S. war ship and causes casualties.
- Then Trump will be hard pressed to escalate the war towards Iran.
- Iran can not be defeated.
The U.S. and UK military have since continued to bomb Yemen. There are signs that they have run out of identified targets as they are bombing just random stuff. Recently they hit a detention center that was holding African migrants killing some 60 of those. They dropped bombs on civilians near a quarry because some random guy on Twitter posted coordinates of the quarry claiming that it was a military site. Eight people died.
On Sunday a Yemeni missile hit Israel's main airport Ben Gurion. U.S. supplied Patriot and THAAD, as well as Israel Arrow air defense system had failed to intercept the missile.
The Houthi warned of more to come:
Houthi military spokesman Brig.-Gen. Yahya Saree posted on Telegram that the missile strike was in response to expand its operations against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The decision to expand operations was agreed upon by the Israeli security cabinet on Friday night. Several IDF reserve brigades will be mobilized for the operation's expansion.
The Yemen-based terror organization "calls upon all international airlines to take into consideration" their plans to target Israeli airports, Saree said in his Telegram post, and also recommended that airlines "cancel all schedules flights to the airports of the 'criminal enemy' to preserve the safety of their aircraft and their agents."
Trump's military campaign against Yemen, just like Biden's previous one, has failed:
The Houthis have the upper hand. This is why (archived) – The Times, May 4 2025
Despite concerted American efforts, the Iran-backed Yemeni group continues to launch missile attacks against Israel and merchant shipping in the Red Sea
President Trump has promised to “annihilate the Houthis” and a campaign that involved 202 strikes during its first two months, under the Biden administration, has intensified to the point that more than 800 have been delivered.
…
The Houthis combine the nimbleness of a non-state group and an insurgent army, while having Iranian support, and boasting an arsenal of strike weapons that would put most countries to shame. So, there is danger for British and American pilots — the Houthis have shot down 19 Reaper drones (which cost $30 million each) since this blitz started. And Monday’s attempt to hit the Truman shows their continued ability to threaten nearby shipping with a blend of ballistic and cruise missiles as well as uncrewed aircraft and boats, testing their defences from all angles.
…
Intercepting these occasional launches of long-range Iranian-made weapons is one of the most expensive issues facing the Pentagon. The Israeli Arrow missiles used to counter them are $4 million each, the American Thaad missile defence systems cost $8.4 million, and the ship-launched SM-3 anti-ballistic missile is an eye-watering $27 million.As for protecting naval vessels off Yemen, a salvo of defensive missiles costs millions, but the price of such a strike getting through, crippling a warship, could easily top a billion dollars.
A hit on a U.S. or British ship is sure to happen should the U.S. and UK continue its campaign. But there is no hope that any bombing will defeat the nobles of Yemen:
Ultimately though, the Houthis, ruling through a combination of activism and coercion, have withstood attempts by western countries and Saudi Arabia to coerce them so will retain some capability to continue launching missiles.
There are ideas of instigating a local ground campaign against the Ansar Islam ruled parts of North Yemen. The Saudis, with help of the Emirates and al-Qaeda had tried that too. It had failed and will fail again should the Trump administration be stupid enough to try it again.
The Houthi can not be defeated . Soon a U.S. ship will get hit. From there the war could easily escalate into a war against Iran. There is a good chance that the U.S. would lose it.
It is high time for the Trump administration to pull back from its Yemen campaign.
The reopening of the Red Sea for all maritime traffic can only be achieved by reining in the Zionist maniacs.
Unfortunately Trump lacks the balls to even attempt that.
