Trump Expands Strikes As Biden Faces Houthi Backlash

Man speaking into a microphone at an event.

President Trump has unleashed a fierce military response against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, vowing to restore freedom of navigation and sending a clear message to Tehran as he works to undo the consequences of Biden’s earlier conciliatory approach.

Quick Takes

Trump launched extensive airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, promising “hell will rain down” if attacks on commercial shipping continue
Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei described the US as in “panic” over regional resistance, while denying direct control over Houthi operations
The Houthis have disrupted vital shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since late 2023, threatening global commerce
Biden’s 2021 decision to remove the Houthis from the terrorist list is widely criticized for emboldening their aggression
Trump’s military action signals renewed US commitment to Saudi Arabia and regional security after years of strained relations

Trump Takes Decisive Military Action

President Donald Trump has ordered extensive airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, targeting their bases, leaders, and missile defense systems. The military campaign aims to degrade the Iran-backed group’s ability to disrupt global shipping through the vital Red Sea and Gulf of Aden corridors. Trump announced the operation on Truth Social with characteristic directness, warning the Houthis that their “time is up.” Following the strikes, explosions were reported across Houthi-controlled territory, including in the capital Sanaa and Saada province, with military operations continuing across multiple regions.

Trump made his intentions clear in his public statements, declaring: “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.” The President further warned: “To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!”

Iran’s Defiant Response

Iran’s response to the American military campaign has been predictably defiant. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei characterized the US actions as symptoms of panic rather than strength. In comments reported by state media, Khamenei claimed that “Muslim nations are standing firmly and that this resistance will prove to be effective.” Meanwhile, Iranian military commanders continued to insist on the independence of the Houthi movement, despite substantial evidence of Tehran’s material support for the group’s operations against shipping and neighboring nations.

“That which has caused the US and its allies to panic today is the fact that the Muslim nations are standing firmly and that this resistance will prove to be effective,” said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Trump had previously warned Iran directly against supporting the Houthis, stating: “If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!” Houthi forces have claimed to have launched retaliatory missiles and drones against US naval assets, including the USS Harry S Truman, though Pentagon officials have not confirmed any successful strikes against American forces. US Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell stated the operations were necessary “to defend our homeland.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has framed the strikes as evidence that the U.S. fears the growing strength of Yemen's Houthi rebels. https://t.co/93DaZ5nhqq

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) March 17, 2025

Biden’s Policy Reversal Under Scrutiny

The current military campaign follows years of criticism over the Biden administration’s handling of the Houthi threat. In February 2021, shortly after taking office, Biden removed the Houthis from the US terrorist list and ended American offensive support for Saudi Arabia’s campaign against the group. This policy shift, intended as a humanitarian gesture, is now widely viewed as having emboldened the rebel group and created the conditions for their increased aggression against international shipping and neighboring countries.

“Biden’s early appeasement of the Houthis, lifting them from the terror list with nothing in return, emboldened their aggression,” said Salman Al-Ansari.

Saudi geopolitical analyst Salman Al-Ansari further noted: “The strikes are long overdue. The Houthis have disrupted global trade, attacked U.S. forces and fueled instability.” Middle East security expert Jonathan Schanzer pointed out that “Biden made the Houthis a partisan issue when he de-listed the Houthis. This has prompted Trump to target the Houthis more aggressively. And it doesn’t hurt that weakening the Houthis will signal to the Saudis that America is back as an ally of Saudi Arabia after four years of ambivalence by the Biden White House.”

Regional Security Implications

The military operation carries significant implications for regional security and America’s relationships with key Middle Eastern allies. Trump’s actions signal a renewed US commitment to Saudi Arabia, whose oil facilities and territory have been targeted by Houthi missiles and drones. The Houthis have also launched attacks against Israel, aligning with Iran’s broader regional strategy of confrontation through proxy forces. US Central Command officers have indicated the strikes are part of a larger strategic plan, with Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich noting, “While we won’t talk about it publicly, just know there is a design to the operation.”

Experts warn that the fundamental regional instability stems from deeper issues. As Yemen specialist Nadwa al-Dawsari explained: “The fundamental problem is [that] the Houthis, a transnational armed group backed by Iran … started a civil war, took the capital, refuse to engage in dialogue, and feel they are entitled to rule the country by a divine promise.” The Trump administration’s military response attempts to address both the immediate threat to shipping and the broader challenge of Iranian regional influence through proxy forces.