Monday Briefing: Houthis Hold Firm After Strikes

After U.S.-led strikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen on Thursday and Friday, U.S. officials said that the militia had retained about three-quarters of its ability to target ships transiting the Red Sea.

The airstrikes damaged or destroyed about 90 percent of their targets. But much of the Houthis’ offensive capability is mounted on mobile platforms and can be readily moved or hidden.

And finding targets is more challenging than anticipated. Western intelligence agencies have not spent significant time or resources in recent years collecting data on the location of Houthi air defenses, command hubs, munitions depots and facilities for drones and missiles, the officials said.

The shortcomings reveal the challenges that the U.S. and its allies face as they seek to deter the Iran-backed Houthis from retaliating, to secure critical shipping routes between Europe and Asia and to contain the spread of regional conflict. The Houthis have said they will continue to attack ships in solidarity with the Palestinians until Israel withdraws from Gaza.

What’s next: The militia launched a single missile into the Red Sea in response. U.S. officials are bracing for more but said the Houthis seem to be divided on how to respond.

Analysis: Since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, President Biden has endeavored to avoid a wider war in the Middle East. Now, the question seems to be: How wide will it get?