The Houthis Are Still a Threat—Will Trump Finally Take Them Out?

It is somewhat surprising, though, that the Houthis took so long to join the fight. In the conflicts sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror attacks against Israel, the Houthis have always been eager participants in Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” proxy network. But in a recent op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Harvard University instructor Asher Orkaby argues that President Donald Trump’s actions since 2025 have successfully reestablished deterrence. The terrorists in Sanaa see what is happening to their counterparts in Iran and want to avoid such a fate themselves. Perceptive as this insight is, though, Orkaby goes too far in recommending the United States formally recognize the Houthis as rightful governors of Yemen. As this weekend’s strikes prove, the United States and her regional allies simply cannot be reconciled to these brutal terrorists. They may not be as powerful as their Iranian partners, but they are just as ideologically committed to anti-American jihad. Furthermore, such a move would alienate important Gulf allies such as Saudi Arabia—and right when America needs them most. The best way to handle the Houthi threat is exactly how we have dealt with the dangers posed by other Iranian proxies such as Hezbollah and Hamas: decapitate the leadership, disarm the militants, and partner with sane actors in the region to reimpose order and stability. Just as appeasement could not put a stop to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, we must recognize that diplomacy is by no means the simple solution to the problems in Yemen. Even if elements of the Houthi leadership remain in power, negotiations will only succeed if they are backed by American might. In the first place, we must understand the threat posed by an occupied Yemen. Throughout the proxy war with Israel during the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Houthi aggression against Western shipping in the Red Sea majorly disrupted international trade to the benefit of Tehran. Their missile and drone attacks cost the global economy millions, if not billions. The geographic chokepoints around the Arabian Peninsula, from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab-el-Mandeb, are major strategic vulnerabilities not just for the West, but the entire world. Keeping them open to maintain the freedom of the seas is a vital American interest. A Houthi-controlled Yemen is also a clear and present danger not just to Israel, but also the Gulf Arab states that the United States needs as partners. The Islamic Republic has sponsored the terror group in no small measure because it is a convenient proxy for its conflict with Saudi Arabia and other Sunni powers. Tehran’s entire strategy for decades has been to pursue regional hegemony by building what it calls an “axis of resistance.” While this plot for revolution across the whole Middle East has been forestalled by bold U.S. and Israeli military action, the Houthis remain one of the Islamic Republic’s most successful franchises of terror. Unfortunately, the Biden administration failed to deter the Houthis during its time in power. Its State Department delisted them from the designated terror organizations list in 2021—much to the consternation of Gulf partners—only belatedly reversing the decision four years later under pressure from Congress. After this flip-flopping, Biden committed to a lackluster military campaign to stop the harassment of shipping in the Red Sea. Ultimately, all his administration’s dealing with the Houthis proved was that concessions to terror groups cannot bring peace to the Middle East. The Trump administration’s approach to the Houthi problem has been superior, though not without its own shortcomings. Upon taking office, the President ordered a series of actions against the terror group, Operation Rough Rider, that killed over 500 fighters and substantially degraded its military infrastructure. And yet instead of finishing the job, Trump ended the campaign after receiving assurances from Houthi leaders that they would cease targeting Western vessels. Despite those promises, Trump’s truce was no real victory—the Houthis continued launching missiles at Israel, and remain a looming threat in the Red Sea. Beyond these particular policy failures, the persistent inability of successive administrations to put a stop to Houthi terror reveals the bipartisan folly of Washington’s Middle East strategy. Politicians in both parties would rather turn away from the region entirely to focus on other issues, from great power competition to domestic policy. Salutary as a shift in attention may seem, terrorists remain on the prowl. Washington cannot unilaterally end the “forever war” by ignoring it. Stability requires more than simplistic campaign promises and facile slogans. At the moment, the Trump administration is rightly focused on the war in Iran. But since the Houthis decided to join with Tehran, the President should realize that a deal with these fanatics is impossible. Defeating the Islamic Republic means more than just killing more ayatollahs; it requires deconstructing its whole empire of terror.