US Strikes on the Houthis Serve as a Clear Warning to Iran

The U.S. is deploying stealth bombers to target five underground Houthi weapons depots in Yemen. This is aimed at both them and their mentor figures in Tehran.

The Pentagon’s statement concerns Yemen and seems directed at Iran: The operation targeting five underground Houthi weapons depots is described as “a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified.” The U.S. used its B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, but no information was provided about their point of departure or the munitions used. The largest option, the 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb MOP, will not have been used, so there’s still untapped potential.

Like Hezbollah, the Houthis have joined Hamas in the war against Israel. Due to their limited range, they have resorted to targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea, although some individual drones have managed to reach Israel. So far, the U.S., which has launched a protection mission, has acted relatively defensively.

A Statement Aimed at Tehran

The preemptive and spectacular destruction of weapons belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis is not only intended to diminish their military capabilities but is also a precursor to an expected exchange of blows between Israel and Iran. Israel itself may not have B-2 bombers or the necessary ammunition for certain operations in Iran, but the U.S. has them and is capable of using them.