Eric Navarro
The United States stands at a strategic crossroads in the Red Sea. After years of strategic drift, the Trump administration confronted the Houthi threat decisively through sustained military operations from March 15 to May 6, 2025. Yet, while U.S. strikes inflicted damage, they failed to eliminate the threat. The cost of each U.S. munition—when measured against the Houthis’ low-tech but high-impact arsenal—exposed a stark asymmetry. This imbalance, together with political considerations, likely influenced President Trump’s decision to halt the strikes after the Houthis temporarily paused their maritime attacks. That pause ended on July 6–7, 2025, when the Houthis struck two Greek-managed bulk carriers and launched a ballistic missile attack against Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. In short, the Houthis reminded the world that they remain committed to achieving their strategic objectives through violence.
These latest Houthi attacks underscore that defeating the group requires more than short-term tactical gains but a comprehensive, integrated strategy. Such a strategy must target not only the Houthis’ military capabilities but also their financial networks, political legitimacy, and external support systems. Anything less will allow the Houthis to regroup and rearm. Iran will continue to exploit the Houthis as a proxy to destabilize the region, even as near-peer rivals like China expand their foothold in the global commons. At stake are the United States’ credibility, regional stability, and the free flow of global trade.
The Red Sea is vital to U.S. interests and the broader international order, serving as a strategic nexus linking Europe, Asia, and Africa. Nearly 15 percent of global trade transits the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. With every ship the Houthis attack, every insurance premium they inflate, and every trade route they divert, malign actors accrue power at the United States’ expense. History exposes how vulnerable this corridor is. The Somali piracy crisis of the early 2000s nearly crippled regional trade and compelled costly multinational interventions. Today’s threats are even more acute, as Iran and China actively seek to exert influence over these critical chokepoints.
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