The United States intensifies attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen
The US army has intensified its air strikes against the bases, installations and command centres of the Houthi militias in their main stronghold in the governorate of Saada, in northern Yemen, marking a new phase in the conflict that is shaking the region.
During the early hours of Wednesday morning, a new series of air strikes was launched against Houthi barracks and hideouts in the eastern areas of Saada and the district of Al Salem. Local witnesses reported violent explosions following the bombings, which were reportedly aimed at ballistic missile systems and militia command headquarters. The Houthis acknowledged five attacks, including two in the city of Saada and three in the Al Salem district, amid a wave of US air raids.
At the same time, the US Air Force's B-2 Spirit strategic bombers have begun to deploy to Diego Garcia, a key military enclave in the Indian Ocean. Two aircraft from the 509th Bomb Wing have already landed, while another two are en route from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. This unusual movement could indicate preparations for new attacks against Houthi targets or serve as a warning to Iran.
In the last 48 hours, Houthi positions have been the target of the most intense air offensive to date, with more than 15 raids in the Sahar and Kitaf districts, as well as two in the city of Qahza, southeast of Saada.
🚨US strikes in Yemen as seen from a security camera of a retail shop pic.twitter.com/OW7Q4QFmxN
— Raylan Givens (@JewishWarrior13) March 26, 2025
This escalation comes after the Houthis announced a ninth attack on the US aircraft carrier Truman in the Red Sea. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said the militia ‘attacked enemy warships in the Red Sea, led by the US aircraft carrier Truman,’ although he did not specify the weapons used.
The US air campaign, now in its second week, has hit Houthi positions in eight Yemeni governorates, inflicting human and material losses on the militia, including dozens of deaths among its members and leaders.
In this regard, US President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Mike Waltz, has stated that key Houthi leaders have been eliminated, including their top missile expert. ‘We hit their headquarters,’ Waltz told US media on Sunday. ‘We hit communications nodes, weapons factories and even some of their over-water drone production facilities.’
The United States has carried out more than 150 raids on dozens of Houthi positions since 15 March, in response to Houthi attacks on Israel and vessels in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden, allegedly in support of the Palestinians.
On the other hand, the Iranian-backed Yemeni militia has intensified its missile attacks on Israel, although the most recent one disintegrated in flight.
In addition to the attacks on Israeli territory, between November 2023 and January this year, the Houthis attacked more than 100 merchant ships, sinking two and killing four sailors. They have also launched attacks on US warships, although none have been successfully hit. Domestically, Houthi rebels have cracked down on dissidents and humanitarian workers amid Yemen's ongoing civil war, which has devastated the country for nearly a decade.
Tension in the region continues to rise, with the United States maintaining its offensive and the Houthi militia redoubling its efforts in an escalation that threatens to further destabilise the situation in the Middle East.
