Trump’s ‘Relentless’ Airstrikes Hit Houthis in Yemen—But will It Change the Red Sea Battle?

Washington, D.C. - Before Donald Trump’s administration launched a wave of airstrikes across Yemen, before top officials planned attacks over group chats, and before the White House framed the campaign as a necessary show of force, many of those same officials weren’t even sure if attacking the Houthis was worth it. Just last year, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz had warned against wasting American military resources on what he called a “ragtag bunch of terrorists.” But in a matter of months, his stance—and that of the administration—has flipped entirely.

Now, with over 100 airstrikes already carried out, Trump is selling this as a decisive break from what he calls the “weak” approach of the Biden years. His argument? The Houthis have been hitting commercial ships in the Red Sea for months, disrupting global trade, and it’s time to hit back—hard. But for all the talk of strength, experts say the playbook hasn’t changed much. The strikes look a lot like what Biden tried before, and they’re running into the same old problems.

A Campaign That’s ‘Relentless’—But to What End?

On March 15, U.S. forces hit 30 Houthi-controlled sites across Yemen, the latest in an air campaign that Trump’s administration has called “relentless.” White House officials insist this time is different: more strikes, faster tempo, and a willingness to go after high-value targets, even in populated areas.

“We have destroyed command-and-control facilities, air defence systems, weapons manufacturing facilities, and advanced weapons storage locations,” a U.S. defence official said last week.

But the Houthis have been through this before. They’ve been in a near-constant state of war for 20 years—fighting Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government, the UAE, and now the U.S. The idea that they’ll suddenly break because of an intensified air campaign isn’t convincing many analysts.

“The problem with the air war there is that it’s not going to work,” said Ben Friedman, an analyst at Defense Priorities.

And then there’s the issue of global shipping. The entire reason for this campaign is to reopen the Red Sea, where the Houthis’ attacks have forced cargo ships to take the long way around Africa instead. But at this point, even if the U.S. manages to stop the attacks, shipping companies might not care. Rerouting has actually made them more money—higher costs mean higher rates—so many of them have little reason to go back to the old routes.

“The Houthis have reshaped global shipping, and they’ve done so in a way that’s more profitable for global shipping,” said Michael Knights, an analyst at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Military Readiness Takes a Hit

The costs of the campaign aren’t just financial. The Pentagon has extended the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group in the Red Sea and sent in more B-2 stealth bombers and air defence systems. But all of this comes at a price.

“We are burning readiness to the tune of tens of billions of dollars,” Waltz had warned last year—when it was Biden running the show. Now, his own administration is doubling down on the same approach.

And in Congress, even some Republicans are quietly asking how this ends. A Democratic congressional aide, speaking anonymously, noted that the Pentagon is aware of the strain on resources but still hasn’t clearly defined what victory would look like.

Is This Leading to a Bigger Fight?

Then there’s the Iran problem. The Houthis aren’t acting alone—they’re backed by Tehran, which has continued supplying them with weapons despite U.S. efforts to cut off their supply lines. And while Trump hasn’t yet gone beyond airstrikes, he’s been issuing threats.

“We hit them every day and night—Harder and harder,” Trump posted on Monday, adding a direct warning to Iran.

But for all the firepower, the Red Sea is still effectively closed to major commercial traffic. The Houthis aren’t backing down. And the military surge is raising concerns that the U.S. is wading into a long, expensive fight with no clear exit. The White House insists this time is different. But for now, it looks an awful lot like more of the same.

Watch- Houthis Shoot Down US MQ-9 Reaper: Chilling Video Shows Drone Burnt To Ashes | Iran | Donald Trump