Yemen Monitor / Washington / Agencies:
A U.S. official stated on Saturday that the U.S. military operation against the Houthis does not include a ground incursion into Yemeni territory, according to CNN.
Earlier on Saturday, the U.S. launched airstrikes on Sana’a and Sa’ada, which American media reported targeted Houthi sites and weaponry. Meanwhile, the Houthis claimed that the strikes in Sana’a targeted a residential neighborhood in the Shu’aub district.
A U.S. defense official told CNN that any additional measures following Saturday’s strikes would depend on the battle damage assessment. However, further actions against the Houthis are expected in the coming weeks.
A source familiar with the strategy told CNN, “This is not a one-time operation; it is the beginning of a continuous series of events that will last for days, if not weeks.” The source added, “There is no invasion, and there will be no ground troops. But there will be a sustained series of targeted strategic attacks.”
Earlier this year, Trump signed an order designating the Houthis as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization.”
Organizing and planning a broader strike campaign took considerable time, as the U.S. needed to gather the necessary intelligence for wider attacks on the Houthis. A senior military official recently told CNN that the intelligence gathering required for expanded strikes had been completed.
For months, the U.S. has been working to weaken the Houthis, who have disrupted international shipping lanes in the Red Sea—one of the world’s busiest waterways—citing their attacks as a response to Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. The group has targeted more than 100 ships and boats using drones, missiles, and small vessels.
The Biden administration attempted to counter the Houthis with targeted strikes on their positions in Yemen, including underground weapons storage facilities in October and November. However, these measures failed to prevent further attacks.
Trump, in his statement, criticized Biden administration’s approach to the Houthis, calling it “pathetically weak, allowing the unchecked Houthis to continue their actions.”
He further noted that more than a year has passed since an American commercial vessel safely transited the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. The last U.S. warship to cross the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis more than a dozen times, he wrote.
