On March 15, US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on targets linked to Yemen’s Ansar Allah group, led by the Houthi family, marking the most significant military action of his second term. These strikes could be just the beginning of a broader campaign against the Houthis, following Trump’s re-designation of the group as a “foreign terrorist organization” earlier in his term due to its actions related to the Gaza conflict and Red Sea shipping. The White House stated that the Houthis’ activities pose threats to US civilians, personnel, and global maritime trade.
However, the Trump administration risks repeating a mistake common in US policy since the post-9/11 Global War on Terror—choosing short-term military responses without a long-term strategy for Yemen. Previous US administrations have failed to address the complexities of the conflict, which has led to weak governance, worsening humanitarian conditions, and continuing violence. Military action is unlikely to resolve the underlying issues in Yemen, which include multiple conflicting factions, weapons flow, and foreign interference.
Yemen’s ongoing conflict has deep roots, with its modern state formed in 1990 through the unification of two historically distinct regions—northern Yemen and southern Yemen. The country has struggled with chronic violence, poverty, and insecurity, even before the civil war erupted in 2014 between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthi rebels. Despite receiving Iranian support, the Houthis are just one of many groups contributing to Yemen’s instability, alongside Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and various armed factions fighting for control. The Yemeni government had only limited authority over parts of the country before the Houthis expanded their influence and began attacking beyond Yemen’s borders.
The Houthis remain a persistent regional threat. They forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi into exile in 2015, and despite Hadi’s ouster, the Houthis continue to control significant portions of Yemen, with about 60-70% of the population living in Houthi-controlled areas. Yemen’s strategic location, controlling access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, has made it a focal point for conflicts impacting global shipping, with the Houthis attacking vessels in the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been heavily involved in Yemen’s conflict, supporting local militias in attempts to curb Houthi power. This international military intervention has exacerbated the suffering of Yemeni civilians, with some groups, like the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, pursuing their own agendas, even calling for the restoration of South Yemen’s pre-1990 borders. The situation highlights the fragmented nature of the conflict and the complex interests of regional powers, leaving Yemen’s future uncertain and contributing to ongoing instability in the region.
