Yemen’s Houthi rebels has been a target since they took over the Yemeni capital Sana’a in 2014 - and provoked international intervention in 2015 to support the legitimate government, but the airpower intervention, matched by an inability of the government ground forces was ineffective, according to an article published by The Maritime Executive
To halt Houthi missile and drone attacks requires a dismantling of Houthi political authority and the effective control mechanisms that the Houthis have developed to keep themselves at the top of the pile.
The target set facing the United States when the Houthis began their attacks on shipping had long been allowed to multiply and grow out of control.
Attacks need to be focused on the core Houthi cadre in order to avoid alienating the wider population. If this can be achieved - notwithstanding the group’s high pain thresholds - the Houthi diehards will then be tempted to retreat to their Saada heartlands and lie low - until the next opportunity arises to start yet another battle for advantage in Yemen’s austere landscape.
Unfortunately for Yemen’s suffering civilian population, this means that the route to ending the threat to the global maritime community presented by the Houthis means maintenance of a high-tempo, focused assault on the Houthi political and internal security infrastucture - until rock-hard Houthi resolve and control begins to splinter.
This will entail maintaining a high US naval carrier-borne presence in the region until the job is done, a task that may be difficult to carry through to successful conclusion without the assistance of allies.