The US and UK have struck against Houthi targets in Yemen yet again in continued efforts to deter the Islamic militants from conducting attacks on ships traversing the Red Sea. The targets struck include missile systems, air defense systems, radars, and even buried weapons storage facilities. This marks the eighth round of strikes against the group, which the Biden Administration insists have been effective, even though these attacks against shipping by the Houthi continue to occur.
Despite the hopes of additional deterrence against the Houthi militants, the group has already vowed to respond to the attacks by the US and the UK. Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthi's supreme revolutionary committee, even went so far as to post on X (previously Twitter) in response: "Trust well that every operation and every aggression against our country will not be without a response."
But what exactly is the scope of Iran's involvement in Yemen? According to Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, "...Iran is clearly funding, they're resourcing, they are supplying and they're providing training. They're obviously directly involved. There's no secret there." For that reason, more worrying than Houthi responses, however, are what Iran might consider doing given the continued attacks on their allies by the US and the UK. Should they decide to act, we could well see an escalation in conflict to encompass the region as a whole. Indeed, as things stand, Iran and its regional proxy forces already engage the US and its allies in the region on almost a daily basis, launching attacks not only in Yemen but also in places like Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.