The Houthi rebels now pose a strategic threat with global implications for the United States and its allies, according to a recent analysis by Brian Carter published at The Institute for the Study of War magazine
Carter found that the United States and its allies have failed to prevent Iran from strengthening the Houthis’ military capabilities since 2015 and that the Houthis have grown from a small, militia in Yemen’s northern mountains into a major strategic threat with ties to multiple US adversaries.
He added that “A more robust and serious US response in October and November 2023 could have discouraged or disrupted Houthi attacks on shipping”, noticing that the defensive US response and the subsequent limited air campaign failed because these threats did insufficient damage to the Houthis’ capability and did not strike targets important enough to deter Iran or the Houthis.
Carter concluded that the US policy toward the Houthis in 2023-24 demonstrates that “managing escalation” is a failed approach and an unsustainable policy, recommending that the US must learn that “managing escalation” actually encourages escalation and protracts conflicts—a particularly serious problem when the US must be able to focus on other critical theaters.