“Folks that say, ‘We’ll go in there and take out everyone with the last name Houthi and we’ll win.’ The Houthi leadership has been taken out in history in the past, and they are resilient,” retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan said. “They came back and they grew stronger. So this isn’t something that is a one-and-done.”
Meanwhile, concerns are growing over civilians being caught in the middle of the campaign. While the U.S. military has not acknowledged any civilian casualties since the strikes began over a week ago, activists fear strikes may have killed noncombatants already in territory.
“Just because civilian harm isn’t visible doesn’t mean it isn’t occurring,” cautioned Emily Tripp, director of Airwars, a U.K.-based organization that monitors Western airstrike campaigns.
A New U.S. Airstrike Campaign Stirs Yemen
The Trump administration initiated the campaign on March 15. U.S. warships launched cruise missiles while fighter jets from the USS *Harry S. Truman* dropped bombs on areas in Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels, in a nation located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the poorest in the Arab world.
“No terrorist group will prevent American commercial and naval ships from freely navigating the waterways of the world,” Trump stated in a social media post announcing the campaign, which followed the reimposition of the “foreign terrorist organization” label on the Houthis by his administration.
The Houthis have reported that the airstrikes have claimed 57 lives.
This figure is just over half of the 106 casualties Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi attributed to U.S. and U.K. strikes in 2024. The Houthis did not specify whether these deaths were of combatants or civilians, as their fighters often wear no uniforms.
Al-Houthi claimed that over 930 strikes were launched by the two countries last year, though the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) recorded only 305 strikes. The discrepancy may stem from differences in how the Houthis count individual pieces of ordnance, versus ACLED’s method of tallying events. The Houthis have also been known to exaggerate details.
From March 15 to March 21, ACLED reported 56 events, marking the highest number of incidents in a week since the U.S. bombing campaign began during the Israel-Hamas war.
Trump administration officials have pointed to differences between their approach and President Biden’s strategy.
“The key difference is that these were not small, ineffective strikes,” said Mike Waltz, Trump’s national security adviser, on ABC’s *This Week* on March 16. “This was an overwhelming response targeting multiple Houthi leaders and eliminating them.”
Waltz also claimed that key figures in Houthi leadership, including their “head missileer,” were killed, though the Houthis have not acknowledged any leadership losses.
Luca Nevola, senior Yemen and Gulf analyst at ACLED, highlighted distinct differences in the two administrations’ approaches. Under Biden, the focus appeared to be on targeting mobile missile and drone launchers and infrastructure. However, Trump’s campaign seems to be focused more intensely on urban areas, suggesting a potential decapitation strategy aimed at eliminating key leaders.
Additionally, the Trump administration has granted U.S. Central Command the autonomy to conduct strikes without prior White House approval, unlike under Biden, which could result in more frequent strikes.
Israel, also targeted by Houthi missile and drone fire, launched its own airstrikes in 2024, including one in January.
Concerns About Civilian Casualties Grow Amid Less Transparency
During Biden’s tenure, Central Command typically shared information about airstrikes with the public, including details about the targets and the reasons behind the attacks. However, since the Trump administration’s campaign began, no such breakdowns have been provided.
Retired Vice Admiral Donegan defended the strategy of limited transparency, stating, “You don’t tell the enemy what you’re going to do or not do.”
This lack of transparency has led to the Houthis being the primary source of information about the strikes. They claim that airstrikes targeted a cancer clinic under construction in Saada, as well as private homes and crowded neighborhoods. The U.S. military has not yet disputed these claims or provided supporting evidence for the targeted locations.
“The information environment in Yemen is very complicated,” said Emily Tripp of Airwars. “The Houthis have strict controls over media and activism.”
However, some information has been verified through Houthi-released footage. One strike in Saada, which the Houthis claim killed a woman and four children, showed missile debris with serial numbers corresponding to a Tomahawk cruise missile contract, matching assessments by Airwars.
Based on this and other reports, Airwars believes that at least five U.S. airstrikes in the current Trump campaign likely caused civilian casualties.
The U.S. military declined to comment on potential civilian casualties but stated that the Houthis “continue to spread lies and disinformation.”
“CENTCOM will not provide details about strikes until the operation concludes and there is no further risk to U.S. personnel or assets,” it added, emphasizing that airstrikes are aimed at Iran-backed Houthi locations to restore freedom of navigation and U.S. deterrence.
Houthi Attacks Begin After the Israel-Hamas War
From November 2023 until January 2024, after the Israel-Hamas conflict began, the Houthis targeted over 100 merchant vessels, sinking two and killing four sailors. They claimed the attacks were carried out in solidarity with Hamas.
Although these strikes stopped following the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in January, Houthi aggression against military targets, particularly U.S. Navy vessels, continued.
Increasing U.S. Forces in the Region as Yemen’s Future Remains Uncertain
Since March 15, U.S. airstrikes have maintained a daily rhythm. The USS *Carl Vinson* and its strike group are also scheduled to enter the Middle East, offering the U.S. military two bases for launching aircraft.
Reports also suggest that B-2 stealth bombers are being positioned at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to support the airstrike campaign.
Despite these military moves, Yemen’s future remains uncertain. The Houthis still control the capital, Sanaa, and the northwest. Yemen’s exiled government is fractured and unable to reclaim significant territory from the Houthis. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who began their war against the Houthis a decade ago, are pushing for peace talks as fighting remains stalled on the ground.
As Gregory D. Johnsen, a Yemen expert, noted, “The United States can weaken the Houthis, but without effective ground troops — either its own or those of others — it won’t be able to fully eliminate their capabilities.”
