The US campaign against the Houthis, launched by President Donald Trump, entered its third week with new airstrikes targeting the group’s strongholds.
Late Tuesday into Wednesday, the strikes hit Houthi positions in Saada province in the north, Hajjah province, and extended to the coastal governorate of Hodeidah along the Red Sea.
This comes amid growing anticipation of expanded operations, following the deployment of a second US aircraft carrier to the region.
While the Houthis claimed to have targeted US forces in the northern Red Sea with drones and missiles, a Yemeni minister revealed widespread panic among the group's leaders.
He noted that they had begun selling off properties and smuggling their families out via Sana’a airport.
Trump ordered the campaign against the Houthis on March 15, aiming to force the group to halt threats to maritime security.
He vowed to use “deadly force” and “eliminate them entirely” after the Houthis escalated attacks following the collapse of the second phase of the Gaza truce between Israel and Hamas.
Houthi media reported that airstrikes targeted the al-Mansuriyah district in Hodeidah, claiming they hit a water project and killed four civilians. The group also acknowledged that eastern Saada city was struck by five air raids.
The US campaign is expected to expand in the coming days after Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the deployment of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson to the Middle East.
It will join the Harry S. Truman, which is currently leading strikes against the Houthis.
With the group remaining tight-lipped about its military losses, including equipment and senior figures, the full impact of the US offensive on its capabilities remains unclear.
Meanwhile, the Houthis’ defense minister claimed they were prepared for a “long-term confrontation.”
The Houthis joined the regional escalation following the Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, launching around 200 missiles and drones toward Israel.
However, the attacks had little military impact, with the only reported fatality occurring in Tel Aviv in June.
