On 15 March, the US started series of air and missile strikes against the Houthi targets in Yemen.
Houthi-occupied capital of Yemen, Sanaa, was targeted heavily. Other Houthi sites were also hit in northern and central Yemen.
The Houthis’ leadership is among the targets of the American strikes along with their anti-ship missiles, drones, and air defense systems.
An attempt by the Houthis to attack US naval ships near the coast of Yemen with drones, launched after the start of the American strikes, was unsuccessful.
After the start of the Israel-Hamas War, the Houthis have largely blocked the critical maritime route through the Red Sea and Suez Canal with their attacks on the shipping there. By this the Houthis – an Iranian ally – have been trying to help the survival of another Iranian ally, Hamas, seeking to blackmail Israel and the US into refraining from finishing Hamas off. Although the attacks on ships stopped after the 19 January 2025 ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthis promised to renew them if Hamas were attacked again. They also attempted to shoot down a US fighter jet flying over the Red Sea on 19 February.
The US strikes aim to deprive the Houthis of the ability to persist in their blackmail and attempted support of Hamas. According to American officials, the objective of the US operation is to destroy the Houthi means of attacking ships passing through the Red Sea.
Efforts Category: US, Britain and others vs Houthis Military Force
On 16 March 2025, Reuters reported that the US was “weighing in with Lebanon‘s government on the selection of the country’s next central bank governor” seeking to disrupt “illicit financing for the armed group Hezbollah through Lebanon’s banking system.”
After the defeat of Iran’s military and political asset Hezbollah in its latest war with Israel, the US has been seeking to capitalize on Hezbollah’s weakened position and decrease its influence in Lebanon’s political system.
Efforts Category: US and others’ Political Pressure vs Iran in Lebanon
Modern Great Game Watch 