“We have no track record of anyone successfully deterring the Houthis, so we don’t know how they’ll react to force,” said
Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “They want to be known as the biggest risk taker in the Axis of Resistance and the only one going toe-to-toe with the U.S.”
Unlike Iraq and Syria, the U.S. military has no forces in Yemen. Experts also differ over whether the Houthis are largely acting on their own with Iranian-supplied weapons or are being directed to attack by Tehran.
Some former commanders said, however, that there are legitimate military targets controlled by the Houthis in Yemen and the U.S. does not need to wait for the group to launch still more attacks on commercial shipping before taking military action.
“You could take action against coastal radars, coastal gun systems, missile systems, those kinds of sites,” said Votel. “There are very clear military targets.”
When Votel commanded CENTCOM,
the U.S. struck radar sites in Yemen in 2016 in response to missile attacks, including toward the USS Mason, and the Pentagon cited the need to protect shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb as a reason for its actions.
Taking military action could have its challenges. Some of the systems may be mobile or could be resupplied. But Votel said it could also have a practical and symbolic impact.
“It can degrade their capability in the near term, and at the same time, send a very clear message,” he said.