American newspapers: Washington failed to address the Houthi threat.. and the recent coordinated strikes in Yemen are a message to Iran

The Washington Times criticized what it described as "America's failure" to address the Houthi threat, calling on Washington to respond by unleashing its main regional pillar, Israel, against the terrorist group based in Yemen, as it put it.

The newspaper considered in an article translated by "Yemeni Youth Net" that this failure violates a long-standing American policy. Since its founding, the United States has worked to support freedom of navigation in international waters. In fact, the US Navy was established largely to prevent acts of piracy and interference in the Middle East.

By allowing the Houthis to act out of their own free will, the United States has broken with this strong tradition, writes Sean Dorns. The failure to respond has eroded U.S. credibility in the region and beyond, signaling to friends and foes alike that Washington is no longer able or willing to live up to its commitments.

“To a large extent, it is a problem of our own making,” she added. “In 2021, shortly after taking office, the Biden administration removed the Houthis’ foreign terrorist organization designation as part of a broader effort to appease the group’s patron, Iran, and seek a settlement with the Islamic Republic over its nuclear weapons program. It failed, and has only emboldened Tehran and its terrorist proxies.”

Worse still, the author argues, the US administration has largely refrained from responding militarily to these groups when they attack America and its allies. The increased Houthi aggression is likely no coincidence, she said.

“Israel has eliminated Iran’s main proxies, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. In the wake of this development, the Houthis are likely to compete for greater support from Tehran by demonstrating their capabilities. Make no mistake in thinking that they may receive more largesse,” she continued.

For Iran, the Houthis have proven to be a major, low-cost investment. The terrorist group has been a thorn in the side of the United States while largely refraining from attacking ships operated by Iran’s allies, China and Russia. In fact, evidence suggests that Beijing and Moscow may be providing them with limited assistance.

The article claims that Israel has the means and motives to carry out decisive strikes against the Houthis, calling on the United States to allow it to do so.

coordinated air strike

For its part, the American newspaper, New York Sun, said that the coalition air strike, which was recently carried out in coordination with Israel for the first time against Houthi targets, indicates that Iranian nuclear facilities may be next.

That’s the message analysts are getting after the U.S.-led coalition struck Houthi targets for the first time in coordination with the Israeli air force, the newspaper reported , with many expecting more airstrikes to follow.

On Friday morning, the largest operation targeting Yemen in more than a year began, with American and British aircraft bombing weapons facilities, command bases and underground areas. Hours later, Israel bombed economic targets under Houthi control, including a power station and ports.

On the eve of President-elect Trump's inauguration, coordination between Israel and America - as well as the Israeli Air Force striking targets farther away from Iran - is seen as a prelude, the report said.

"This coordinated attack is a message to Iran," terrorism researcher and former Likud MK Anat Berko told Israel's Kan news channel.

The strikes in Yemen came after three Houthi drones were intercepted late Thursday, amid a pattern of drone and ballistic missile attacks from Yemen that have increased in recent months. The vast majority of those attacks have been shot down by Israeli and U.S. air defenses.

According to the newspaper, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is redirecting most of its arms shipments to Yemen from Lebanon, where its militias have suffered heavy losses in recent months. As a result, the Houthis have escalated their attacks on Israel and America.

In contrast to the past, Friday’s operations, carried out by more than twenty Israeli Air Force aircraft, were carried out during the day. The bombing, which targeted a major Yemeni power plant and the ports of Hodeidah and Ras Issa, was timed to coincide with a weekly rally in Sanaa on Fridays, where Houthi supporters chant slogans against Israel and America.

She added that some of the strikes were clearly intended to be seen by crowds and serve as a warning. Earlier in the week, the deputy commander of US Central Command, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, visited Israel, where he reportedly coordinated the operation with his Israeli counterparts.

US and British aircraft struck "as part of Central Command's efforts to degrade Iranian-backed Houthi attempts to threaten regional partners, military and commercial vessels in the region," Central Command said in a statement on Friday.

British and American aircraft reportedly targeted tunnel networks and weapons depots in the mountainous Harf Sufyan area hours before the Israeli attack.

After meeting with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago recently, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer concluded that Trump would support an Israeli military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, Axios reported this week.

The increased military coordination between Israel and America could serve as a signal that Washington will support Israel if it decides to attack Iran. In contrast to the Biden administration, which has tried to negotiate with Tehran, many members of Trump’s incoming security team are considered Iran hawks. They are seen as more inclined to provide Israel with munitions that can penetrate deep into Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Trump himself has been careful to avoid revealing his plans for dealing with the Islamic Republic. The president-elect has said it would be “stupid” to talk publicly about a military strategy to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapon.

According to the report, Netanyahu met with the security cabinet on Thursday to discuss plans for military strikes on Iran. This week, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards conducted a four-day drill, reportedly aimed at bolstering defenses against potential Israeli strikes.