U.S plans for a Bombing Campaign against the Houthi Rebels

U.S is making preparations for a sustained bombing campaign in Yemen. Despite ten days of airstrikes, the ability of Houthi fighters to target ships in the Red Sea remains unharmed. The Biden administration does not anticipate a long-lasting operation akin to those in Iraq or Afghanistan, but is unable to provide a specific timeline for weakening Houthi military capabilities. The primary objective of Washington's strategy is to limit the ability of the Shiite militant group to attack ships off the coast of Yemen, ensuring safer conditions for shipping companies to resume operations. The Houthis, showing support for Gaza during Israel's military operation, have carried out numerous drone and missile assaults on commercial vessels in the area. They have also threatened retaliation against the US and the UK, who have been conducting strikes on Houthi targets for over a week. While acknowledging the Houthis' ideology and intentions, US officials are determined to degrade and destroy their capabilities. The Washington Post has expressed concerns that this bombing campaign may hinder President Biden's goal of preventing the Israel-Hamas conflict from spreading to other parts of the Middle East and may also undermine his efforts to refocus US foreign policy on Russia and China.