Houthi Red Sea Attacks; US Considers Cease Fire Still in Effect

 The Wall Street Journal published on 10 July 2025 an article titled "Two Ships Desperately Tried to Fight Off Houthi Attacks. Help Never Arrived" by Benoit Faucon and Lara Seligman.  

The article includes dramatic video coverage of two Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned ships that Houthi rebels sank this week in the Red Sea.  These attacks came two months after the United States announced a ceasefire with the Houthis following airstrikes on their positions in Yemen. 

A senior US Defense Department official said Washington still considers the ceasefire to be in place so long as the Houthis are not firing at American ships.  

Is US Preparing to Support Yemeni Militias in Ground War Against Houthis?

 The Wall Street Journal published on 14 April 2025 an article titled "U.S. Strikes Spur Plans for Yemeni Ground War Against Houthis" by Benoit Faucon, Nancy A. Youssef, and Saleh al-Batati.

Yemeni militias sense an opportunity to relaunch a ground war against the Iranian-backed Houthis as a component of continuing US airstrikes on Houthi targets.  According to this report, the US is open to supporting a ground operation by Yemeni militia forces.

Comment:  Saudi Arabia, drawing heavily on Sudanese mercenaries, and troops from the United Arab Emirates tried without much success to take control of Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen in a war that lasted from 2015 to 2022.  If this new offensive goes forward, one hopes it learned the lessons of the largely unsuccessful earlier effort.