Semafor published on 2 February 2026 an article titled "View/Why US Airstrikes in Somalia Are Reaching Record Levels under Trump" by Tomi Oladipo.
The second Trump administration has launched 144 airstrikes so far against al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia. That is more than half the number during all of Trump's first term.
The Congressional Research Service published on 22 July 2025 a brief paper titled "Yemen: Conflict, Red Sea Attacks, and U.S. Policy" by Christopher M. Blanchard.
This is a concise background of the political situation in Yemen, U.S. policy towards Yemen, and the status of Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
The CTC Sentinel published in its July 2025 edition an analysis titled "The Escalation of U.S. Airstrikes in Somalia and the Role of Perceived Threats to the U.S. Homeland" by David Sterman.
In 2025, the United States significantly increased the pace of airstrikes against the Islamic State and al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab in Somalia. The rationale was a perceived heightened threat of jihadi activity in the homeland by one or both of these groups.
The Wall Street Journal published on 7 July 2025 an article titled "Houthis Attack Ship in Red Sea for First Time Since Trump Announced a Truce" by Dov Lieber and Benoit Faucon.
A Houthi attack disabled a Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned ship near the port of Hodeidah in the Red Sea. This was the first Houthi attack since President Trump halted airstrikes on the Houthis in May. Recent Israeli airstrikes on the Houthis may have precipitated the new attacks on international shipping.
The CTC Sentinel published in June 2025 an analysis titled "Feature Commentary: An Assessment of Operation Rough Rider" by Gregory Johnsen, an expert on Yemen.
The United States carried out more than 1,100 airstrikes over 52 days this past spring against Houthi rebels in Yemen. This article provides an assessment of that campaign known as Operation Rough Rider. The US intelligence community reportedly concluded that the airstrikes caused "some degradation" but the Houthis were in a position to easily reconstitute, regroup, and rebound. The Red Sea crisis is far from over.
A Saudi paper headquartered in London, Asharq Al-Awsat, published on 21 June 2025 an article titled "Yemen's Houthis Say Response to US Attack on Iran Only a Matter of Time."
Yemen's Houthis, who have the support of Iran, have been engaged in a sporadic campaign against international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Following the end of US airstrikes on the Houthis, they stopped attacking ships in the region but left the door open to continued attacks on Israel.
Following the US strike on nuclear sites in Iran, a member of the Houthi political bureau said the ceasefire with the United States is over and the group's response to the US attack is "only a matter of time."
The Hill published on 19 May 2025 a commentary titled "What the End of the Houthi Campaign Means for US Power" by Michael Knights.
After 52 days of more than 1,000 airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen, President Trump ordered they stop. The question is what was accomplished and where does US policy go from here.
The New York Times published on 12 May 2025 an article titled "Why Trump Suddenly Declared Victory Over the Houthi Militia" by Helene Cooper, Greg Jaffe, Jonathan Swan, Eric Schmitt, and Maggie Haberman.
The Trump administration, following an internal debate, concluded that after 30 days of extensive airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen, it was just another expensive but inconclusive American military engagement in the region. The Houthis shot down 7 MQ-9 Reaper drones, two $67 million aircraft fell off an aircraft carrier, and the US burned through in one month about $1 billion worth of weapons and munitions that were becoming in short supply.
Although the operation disrupted and diminished Houthi capacity, it did not eliminate it or show signs of being able to do so. President Trump decided to declare victory, negotiate a ceasefire, and end the airstrikes.
Dialogue Works posted on 9 May 2025 a 52-minute video interview titled "Trump's Wake-up Call: Yemen's Chaos Forcing a Deal with Iran?" hosted by Nima R. Alkhorshid with Chas Freeman, former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Assistant Secretary of Defense, and Trita Parsi, Quincy Institute.
This informative discussion begins with an analysis behind the US desire for a ceasefire with the Houthis in Yemen and leads to the prospects for a US-brokered nuclear deal with Iran. In between, it underscores the developing cracks between the Trump administration and Bibi Netanyahu and the challenges in dealing with Iran while maintaining good relations with the Arab world. Both commentators praised the Trump administration for realizing the futility of continuing airstrikes on the Houthis and ending the campaign even if the deal excluded Israel.
CNN posted on 11 May 2025 an article titled "Israel Issues Evacuation Warnings for Yemen Ports after Vowing to 'Defend Itself by Itself'" by Eyad Kourdi and Oren Liebermann.
The Israeli Defense Fores warned people to evacuate the Yemeni ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif in anticipation of airstrikes following a missile fired by the Houthis at Israel. Israel is prepared to go it alone after the US ceasefire with the Houthis.
Reuters posted on 11 May 2025 an article titled "Israel Attacks Yemen's Hodeidah after Evacuation Warnings, Houthis Say."
The Houthi interior ministry said Israel struck the port of Hodeidah on 11 May.
Foreign Affairs published on 9 May 2025 an article titled "How the Houthis Outlasted America" by April Longley Alley, previously at the US Institute of Peace.
President Trump announced on 6 May that the US would end its airstrikes, which totaled more than 1,000, on Houthi targets in Yemen. The situation in the Red Sea today is essentially the same as it was before the administration's round of US airstrikes on the Houthis, although they are low on munitions and their leadership has been temporarily disrupted.
Trump said the Houthis "capitulated," but they retain their hold on power and called the ceasefire a "victory for Yemen." Although the US campaign put the Houthis under tremendous pressure, they were far from deterred, much less defeated, at the time of the ceasefire.
Stars and Stripes published on 8 May 2025 an article titled "US Strikes Depleted Houthi Arsenal, But Militants Primed to Rearm, Analysts Say" by Lara Korte.
After 7 weeks of US bombing, the Houthis reached an understanding with the Trump administration to stop attacks on Red Sea shipping in exchange for an end to US airstrikes. Analysts say the Houthis consider the ceasefire a calculated tactical pause as they regroup, adapt, and rearm. In any event, a military defeat of the Houthis would require a ground operation.
The Atlantic posted on 6 May 2025 a commentary titled "An America First Deal with the Houthis."
The US has extracted itself from the conflict with the Houthis but not ended it. The Houthis say they will continue to strike Israel, and it is not clear what their policy is concerning non-US and UK-flagged ships.
The reason.com, a libertarian magazine, posted on 7 May 2025 an article titled "Trump Gets Bored with the War in Yemen" by Matthew Petti.
President Trump claimed victory over the Houthis on 6 May, ensuring freedom of navigation through the Red Sea. A Houthi leader said, however, that direct attacks on Israel would continue.
Sourcing Journal posted on 7 May 2025 an article titled "Trump Says Houthis Will Cease Attacks on Red Sea Shipping" by Glenn Taylor.
President Trump said the Houthis have told us that "they don't want to fight anymore." He added "they have capitulated." It remains unclear, however, if the Houthis will stop attacks on all international shipping or just American and UK-flagged vessels. There was no mention of ending attacks on Israel.
Politico published on 6 May 2025 an article titled "Trump Announces US Will Stop Bombing Houthis" by Jack Detsch and Felicia Schwartz.
President Trump described as a handshake agreement a willingness to stop bombing the Houthis if they no longer attack American ships. A Houthi leader confirmed the agreement and Oman's foreign minister added that his country mediated talks between the United States and the Houthis.
Reuters published on 6 May 2025 an article titled "Oman Says It Mediated Ceasefire between US, Yemen's Houthis."
President Trump said on 6 May the US will stop bombing the Houthis in Yemen after they agreed to stop attacking shipping in the Middle East. Oman subsequently said it mediated a "ceasefire deal" between the Houthis and the United States.
CNN posted on 5 May 2025 an article titled "Israel Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemen for the First Time in Months, A Day After Tel Aviv Airport Attack" by Jeremy Diamond and Dana Karni.
Israeli aircraft attacked Houthi targets in Yemen on 5 May following a strike by a Houthi missile on Tel Aviv airport. So far, US, UK, and Israeli airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen have failed to stop Houthi missile and drone attacks aimed at international shipping and US naval ships in the Red Sea and against Israel.
Newsweek published on 2 May 2025 an article titled "U.S. War on the Houthis: Five Things to Watch" by Amira El-Fekki.
US airstrikes on the Houthis in Yemen is the first major military operation ordered by the current Trump administration. The article identifies five key issues to watch for going forward.
The Foreign Policy Research Institute published on 21 April 2025 an analysis titled "How the UK-Mauritius Deal on Chagos Could Reshape US Military Strategy in the Indian Ocean" by Raghvendra Kumar.
Diego Garcia hosts a joint Anglo-American military base with a deepwater port capable of berthing aircraft carriers, a long runway that enables deep-strike operations and accommodates heavy bombers and refueling aircraft, advanced satellite communication facilities, and strategically pre-positioned military support and supplies.
The Diego Garcia base, which most recently has been used to launch airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, remains critical to US military strategy in the Indian Ocean. It provides the strategic depth necessary to deter aggression, defend US interests, restore freedom of navigation, and secure vital sea lines of communication. It takes on added importance as China expands its military footprint in the Indian Ocean region.
Bloomberg published on 1 May 2025 an article titled "How the Houthi Red Sea Ship Attacks Upended Global Trade" by Alex Langley, Paul Wallace, and Caroline Alexander.
Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea have caused the biggest disruption to global trade since the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing many ships to reroute around the southern tip of Africa. Since November 2023, the Iranian-backed Houthis attacked more than 130 vessels in the Red Sea as of early March 2025. Traffic through the Red Sea is 71 percent lower than 2023 levels and insurance is as much as ten times higher.
