U.S. Forces have launched a large-scale campaign to dismantle the Houthis’ ability to target ships at sea, striking dozens of targets across Yemen.
On Mar. 15, 2025, U.S. forces launched a large-scale operation against Houthi targets in Yemen, after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” to stop any threat to international shipping posed by the rebel group. At the time of writing, the U.S. military is currently conducting another wave of strikes, for the third day in a row.
“Today, the operation continues, and it will continue in the coming days until we achieve the President’s objectives,” said Joint Staff Director for Operations Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich in a media briefing.
The strikes of the first two days included both airstrikes from the F/A-18 Super Hornets embarked on the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) aircraft carrier and Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles fired from multiple U.S. Navy vessels in the region. According to the Houthis, on the first day of the campaign the U.S. conducted 47 strikes, although U.S. officials provided different numbers.
CENTCOM Forces Launch Large Scale Operation Against Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen
On March 15, U.S. Central Command initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and… pic.twitter.com/u5yx8WneoG
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2025
“The initial wave of strikes hit over 30 targets at multiple locations, degrading a variety of Houthi capabilities,” explained Grynkewich. “These included terrorist training sites, unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure, weapons manufacturing capabilities and weapons storage facilities. It also included a number of command and control centers, including a terrorist compound where we know several senior unmanned aerial vehicle experts were located. On Sunday, strike operations continued against additional headquarters locations, weapon storage facilities, as well as detection capabilities that have been used to threaten maritime shipping in the past.”
Many of the Super Hornets departing the USS Truman were seen armed with standoff weapons, specifically the AGM-154C Joint Stand-Off Weapon (JSOW) and the AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER (Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response). This represents a departure from previous strikes which were mainly performed with 1,000 lb GBU-32 JDAM bombs. Some of the aircraft were also equipped with AGM-88E AARGMs (Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile).
Adding this here.https://t.co/G3onrd3LUZ
— Guy Plopsky (@GuyPlopsky) March 16, 2025
In retaliation, the rebel group attempted an attack against the USS Truman and its escort vessels, with the Houthi spokesman claiming they used 18 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as one drone, during the attack. According to U.S. officials familiar with the matter quoted by Fox News, at least 10 one-way attack drones (OWA-UAS) were launched at the carrier.
CENTCOM operations against Iran-backed Houthis continue… pic.twitter.com/DYvc3gREN8
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2025
According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, U.S. Air Force fighter jets were also called in to assist in the of the Carrier Strike Group (CSG), shooting down multiple drones. The type of fighters involved has not been disclosed, although F-16s armed with a mix of AIM-120 AMRAAMs, AIM-9 Sidewinders and AGR-20 APKWS guided rockets have often been employed to intercept drones in the area.
CENTCOM forces continue operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists… pic.twitter.com/zEWykoDKQR
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 17, 2025
Strategic objectives
It is unclear how long the campaign will last, although officials suggested they will continue until the rebel group ends its attacks on shipping lanes. “The minute the Houthis say, ‘We’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end, but until then it will be unrelenting,” said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before the second wave of strikes.
According to a U.S. official quoted by Air & Space Forces Magazine, the U.S. military campaign could see nearly daily strikes lasting weeks. Similarly, the Houthis vowed to continue to retaliate against the U.S. for its attacks and to continue to attack shipping lanes.
“We basically have a band of pirates with guided precision anti-ship weaponry, and exacting a toll system in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “That’s just not sustainable. We are not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot. … It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that.”
The Houthi attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea have now been ongoing for 18 months. Since 2023, over 174 attempted engagements were reported against U.S. Navy surface assets, in addition to 145 attempted engagements against commercial vessels. While the attempts against U.S. Navy vessels have been unsuccessful, several commercial ships have been hit by drones and ballistic missiles.
One notable example was the bulk carrier MV Tutor, which sank last year after being hit by at least three missiles. Many times, the Houthis claimed to have successfully struck U.S. vessels, although the attacks have always been unsuccessful.
The U.S. previously employed reactive strikes after the attacks of the Houthis as part of the naval blockade they declared in support of Gaza. This time, however, the U.S. are taking a different approach and resorting to preemptive strikes, targeting command and control centers, weapons’ production facilities, storage sites, missile launchers, and the group’s leadership.
President Trump also issued an ultimatum to Houthi forces in a social media post, saying that America would hold the Houthis fully accountable for any threat to international shipping. He also warned Iran, saying the attacks from the Houthis will be looked upon as being “a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran,” which “will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences.”
