Mark Dubowitz, Koby Gottlieb
While Iran and Hezbollah are licking their wounds after costly clashes with Israel, one of Tehran’s deadliest proxies continues to rain down missiles on the Jewish state. On July 22, the Yemeni Houthis fired a ballistic missile at Ben Gurion Airport, following another launch just four days earlier.
These are not isolated provocations. They are a clear signal: the Houthis are not deterred.Washington’s response has followed a now-familiar pattern—one that has failed time and again. Like Saudi Arabia before it, the United States has pursued a diplomatic track, offering ceasefires and incentives in the hope that the Houthis will stop. However, history tells us otherwise: the Houthis treat every pause as an opportunity to rearm, regroup, and return to the battlefield stronger.
Instead of appeasement, the United States should adopt a persistent campaign of sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and, when necessary, military force. Anything less invites more bloodshed.This is not just Israel’s problem. The Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea, causing chaos in global supply chains and threatening one of the world’s most vital maritime corridors. These attacks challenge the US commitment to defend freedom of navigation—a cornerstone of global prosperity since the end of World War II.
In May, Washington helped broker a ceasefire through Oman. The goal was straightforward: end attacks on international shipping. But within weeks, the Houthis shattered the agreement. On July 7 and 9, they struck two cargo vessels, killing three sailors and reportedly taking six others hostage.Saudi Arabia, too, once believed it could negotiate with the Houthis. After entering Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to defend the internationally recognized government, Riyadh found itself locked in a grinding stalemate. The conflict devolved into one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, and the backlash was swift.
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