On March 15, 2025, President Donald Trump declared a full-scale war on the Houthis, an Iran-backed Shia Zaydi movement in Yemen, following their relentless attacks on international shipping from their bases along the Yemeni coast. The Houthis have targeted over 100 commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November 2023, disrupting critical trade routes like the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which handles millions of barrels of oil daily. Trump’s announcement, broadcast live from the White House, condemned the Houthis as a “radical, violent Shia minority tribe” responsible for piracy and terrorism, vowing to deploy the U.S. military’s “unmatched might” to neutralize the threat. He cited recent U.S. airstrikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa—reportedly hitting radars, air defenses, and missile systems—as the opening salvo in a campaign to restore global maritime security, signaling a dramatic escalation from the Biden administration’s more restrained approach.
 

The Houthis, who control much of northern and central Yemen, have long been a destabilizing force in the region, their actions fueled by Iranian support in the form of drones, ballistic missiles, and training. Trump’s war declaration frames the conflict as a necessary step to protect American interests, regional allies like Saudi Arabia, and the global economy, which has suffered from skyrocketing shipping costs due to Houthi attacks. However, his rhetoric of “total and complete annihilation” of the Houthis as a “mischievous and violent” group hints at a broader, more aggressive strategy that could involve sustained airstrikes, naval blockades, and even ground operations. This approach aligns with Trump’s redesignation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in January 2025, a move intended to cut off their financial networks but criticized for potentially exacerbating Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, where 18 million people already require aid.
 

The foretold “annihilation” of the Houthis, however, may be more aspirational than achievable. The group’s resilience—demonstrated by their survival against a decade of Saudi-led bombings—suggests that a military solution alone is unlikely to eradicate them. Controlling areas with over two-thirds of Yemen’s population, the Houthis have deep societal roots and a narrative of resistance against foreign aggression that resonates locally. Trump’s war could galvanize their support further, especially if civilian casualties mount, while also risking a wider conflict with Iran, which has doubled down on its support for the Houthis amid escalating tensions. As U.S. naval and air strikes intensify, the path to “total annihilation” seems fraught with challenges, potentially entangling the U.S. in another Middle Eastern quagmire while leaving the region’s Shia-Sunni divide more volatile than ever.