On July 23, 2026, President Donald Trump publicly suggested the U.S. could resume airstrikes against Houthi militants in Yemen, citing renewed threats to maritime shipping and rising tensions with Iran. The comments mark a sharp turn from the relative quiet that followed the U.S. halting its bombing campaign in May 2025.
How we got here
The U.S. ran a concentrated military campaign called Operation Rough Rider from March to May 2025, targeting Houthi infrastructure under Trump’s second term. The strikes stopped on May 6, 2025, after the Houthis committed to halting attacks on commercial vessels in critical trade routes.
The Houthis are backed by Iran, and U.S.-Iran tensions escalated sharply in July 2026, including reported American airstrikes on Iranian targets. In January 2025, the administration had already redesignated the group as a foreign terrorist organization.
Why this matters beyond Yemen
