On Sunday, March 16, 2025, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a resolute message: the United States will continue its military campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels until their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea cease. This statement followed a series of deadly U.S. airstrikes launched the previous day, marking one of the largest American military operations in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025. The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group that has controlled much of Yemen for the past decade, have vowed to escalate their response, setting the stage for a prolonged conflict that threatens to further destabilize an already volatile region.
The latest wave of U.S. strikes, which began on March 15, targeted Houthi military sites across Yemen, including in the capital Sanaa, the city of Taiz, and the town of Dahyan. According to the Houthi-run health ministry, at least 53 people were killed, including five children and two women, with another 98 injured. The U.S. has not confirmed these figures, and independent sources have not yet verified them. Residents in Sanaa described the strikes as devastating, with explosions shaking neighborhoods and leaving civilians to sift through rubble with their bare hands. The Pentagon has yet to comment on the civilian casualty claims, but the scale of the operation highlights a shift to a more aggressive U.S. posture under Trump’s administration, contrasting with what he has called the “pathetically weak” approach of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
The Houthis’ attacks on shipping, which resumed last week after a period of relative calm, are at the heart of this escalating conflict. The group announced on March 12 that it would target Israeli ships in the Red Sea unless Israel lifted restrictions on aid entering Gaza—a demand tied to their stated solidarity with Palestinians, a stance they’ve held since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023. Over the past year, the Houthis have carried out multiple attacks on commercial vessels, leading to the sinking of ships, seizures, and casualties among crew members. These actions have disrupted global trade, forcing shipping companies to reroute around southern Africa, driving up costs and delays. In response, the U.S. has committed to restoring freedom of navigation in this critical waterway, a core national interest, according to Hegseth.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has remained defiant, declaring in a televised speech on Sunday that his forces would target U.S. ships as long as American attacks persist. “If they continue their aggression, we will continue the escalation,” he warned, claiming—without evidence—that the group had already struck the USS Harry S. Truman with ballistic missiles and drones. U.S. Navy officials dismissed these claims, confirming that 11 Houthi drones were intercepted on Sunday, with none coming close to the carrier. Still, the rhetoric from both sides suggests a cycle of retaliation that shows no immediate signs of abating.
The U.S. campaign has broader geopolitical implications, particularly with Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer. President Trump has warned Tehran to halt its support, threatening that “America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it!” While Iran denies direct involvement, U.S. officials maintain that Tehran continues to provide weapons and intelligence support to the Houthis, a claim Iran refutes. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards commander, Hossein Salami, countered that the Houthis act independently and promised a “decisive and destructive” response to any U.S. threats against Iran. Meanwhile, Russia and the United Nations have called for de-escalation, with Moscow urging dialogue and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
As of Monday, March 17, 2025, Pentagon officials confirmed that operations against the Houthis continued overnight, signaling that the U.S. intends to maintain pressure. With the NCAA tournament brackets now set after Selection Sunday, the world’s attention may briefly shift to basketball, but in the Red Sea, a high-stakes showdown looms—one that could shape U.S. military strategy and regional stability for months to come.
This image is the property of The New Dispatch LLC and is not licenseable for external use without explicit written permission.
