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Is the US Serious About Destroying the Houthis’ Military Capabilities?

Many Yemenis are skeptical of Washington’s commitment to weaken the military capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen. (AP)
Many Yemenis are skeptical of Washington’s commitment to weaken the military capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen. (AP)
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Is the US Serious About Destroying the Houthis’ Military Capabilities?

Many Yemenis are skeptical of Washington’s commitment to weaken the military capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen. (AP)
Many Yemenis are skeptical of Washington’s commitment to weaken the military capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen. (AP)

Many Yemenis are skeptical of Washington’s commitment to weaken the military capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen. They see the recent strikes on military sites in five Yemeni provinces as nothing more than a proportional response to an attack on a single destroyer.

Expecting a limited impact from the strikes, Yemeni observers compared them to the US approach against Iranian-backed groups in Iraq.

Col. Sadeq Dweid, the spokesperson for the National Resistance Forces led by Gen. Tareq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), dismissed the recent airstrikes by the US and UK on Houthi targets as “not serious.”

He argued that foreign intervention is “not a solution and is unacceptable.”

Dweid said these strikes are part of internal maneuvering, emphasizing instead the importance of supporting the Yemeni government as the only legitimate representative of the country.

Many activists and residents share this view, believing that Washinton’s announcement to the Houthis that it intends to retaliate against them is confirmation that the aim wasn’t the destruction of the militias’ military capabilities, but simply a response to their targeting of an American destroyer in the Red Sea.

The militias had fired 24 drones and six ballistic and naval missiles against the vessel.

Yemeni journalist Fares Al-Humairi said the US and British strikes on Houthi-held areas hit positions which are not of strategic importance and others which don’t offer any support to the operations the militias are carrying out in the Red Sea.

Before the strikes, the Houthis moved weapons, including over 100 naval missiles, from dismantled military bases in Hodeidah to storage facilities, noted Al-Humairi.

Yemeni teacher Ahmed Abdulhameed said the US will handle the Houthis the same way it handled Iranian groups in Iraq - responding with limited strikes to each provocation.

He noted that Washington chooses to overlook the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq even though it an Iran-aligned group.

Abdullah Yahya echoed these remarks, saying the targeted locations hold no military significance to the Houthis.

Moreover, he explained that the militias, with help from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, are experienced in disassembling rockets and concealing them in caves or the dense palm tree farms near the Red Seas coast.

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Winter Will Hamper, But Not Halt, Israel’s War on Hezbollah in Lebanon

A destroyed Lebanese village as seen in a photo from Mount Adir in northern Israel. (Reuters)
A destroyed Lebanese village as seen in a photo from Mount Adir in northern Israel. (Reuters)
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Winter Will Hamper, But Not Halt, Israel’s War on Hezbollah in Lebanon

A destroyed Lebanese village as seen in a photo from Mount Adir in northern Israel. (Reuters)
A destroyed Lebanese village as seen in a photo from Mount Adir in northern Israel. (Reuters)

The ground battles between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon remain intense, with no end in sight for the coming weeks. The arrival of winter will bring weather changes that could slow down operations. but won't stop the fighting.

Experts say that while winter weather, especially rain and fog, can make it harder for fighters and vehicles to move, it has a limited impact on the overall conflict. Air operations, which rely on advanced technology, are less affected.

The region’s mild winter conditions, unlike harsher winters in other countries, will not be a decisive factor in the battle.

Retired General Abdul Rahman Shheitly believes that modern military equipment is designed to work in any weather.

However, he told Asharq Al-Awsat that fog and rain can give both sides an advantage by obscuring visibility, making it harder to spot each other.

This benefits the attacking side, Israel, which has superior technology, while Hezbollah’s movements could be hindered by muddy terrain.

Shheitly also noted that weather affects displaced civilians, which could put pressure on political negotiations to end the conflict.

Retired General Hassan Jouni, former deputy chief of staff of operations in the Lebanese Armed Forces, argued that weather conditions affect the attacker more than the defender. Since Hezbollah is defending its ground, it is less impacted by the cold and rain.

The weather only slightly affects vehicle movement, and does not stop the fighting.

Jouni noted that the region doesn’t experience severe winter weather, so air operations will be unaffected by rain or cold. Modern drones, missiles, and aircraft are designed to function in such conditions, with GPS ensuring precise targeting.

Both Hezbollah and Israel rely heavily on drones. Hezbollah’s drones are noted for their accuracy and ability to avoid Israel’s Iron Dome defense, while Israel uses drones for surveillance and targeted strikes.

More than a year has passed since the conflict began after Hezbollah opened its "support front” for Hamas on October 8, 2023. The fighting, mostly limited to airstrikes during the winter of 2023, escalated with Israel’s ground operation a month ago, though its full goals remain unclear.

As the ground battles continue, Israel seems focused on creating a buffer zone in the South rather than occupying towns. Israel has destroyed over 37 villages to achieve this goal.

The next steps remain uncertain.

Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has stated that the military is preparing for further ground operations in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah remains determined to hold its ground and prevent Israeli advances.