Seven Years of War and 53 Days of U.S. Bombing Did Not Stop the Houthis
A seven-year Saudi war ended in stalemate, and a 53-day American air campaign ended in a mutual ceasefire.
WSJ What's News · Will Trump’s Russian Diesel Deal Lower Prices?There is no clear military path to make Yemen's Houthis stop, because the two big attempts to do it have already been tried without success.
The Houthis are the Yemeni movement that Saudi Arabia fought for seven years during Yemen's civil war about a decade ago. That long war did not produce a victory. It ended basically in a stalemate, followed by a ceasefire that held until recently.
Analysts are pretty unanimous that Riyadh has no clear route to compel the Houthis to stop now, according to Andrew Dowell, the Journal's Middle East editor. The Saudis have not shown they are prepared to use sufficient force to achieve that, even if that were achievable.
The United States has a similar recent record. Early in President Donald Trump's second term, the United States bombed Houthi targets for about 53 days in an operation called Rough Rider, dropping large quantities of munitions almost every day. Trump had promised the annihilation of the group. As Dowell put it, "the Houthis mounted a pretty fierce fight in response," and the campaign ended not with their defeat but with a ceasefire in which Washington and the Houthis simply agreed to stop striking one another.
That history matters now because the conflict is widening. The Houthis have carried the battle into the heart of everyday life in Saudi Arabia, with students learning from home and the main airport in Riyadh shut down after successive attacks. A major energy conference is underway, and a big financial conference, known as FII, is scheduled for the end of the month.
At the same time, the United States is involved in a war with Iran, with military forces already stretched and supplies of air defense weapons already strained. Opening an additional front in that conflict near another vital energy transit point in the Red Sea would be a difficult proposition.
Questions people ask
Why have Saudi Arabia and the Houthis been fighting?
The Houthis took control of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014, pushing out the internationally recognized government. Saudi Arabia intervened in 2015 at that government's request, fearing growing Iranian influence on its southern border. The result was a long civil and regional war that drew in the United States, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran.
What was Operation Rough Rider?
It was the American air campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen from March to May 2025. The United States said it was meant to stop Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. After more than 1,000 strikes, Washington and the Houthis agreed to stop attacking each other, though the Houthis continued to threaten Israel and some shipping.
Why is the Red Sea so important?
The Red Sea connects to the Suez Canal, creating the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. About 12% of global trade normally passes through it, including oil, gas, and container goods. When ships avoid it because of attacks, they must sail around Africa, which adds weeks and raises fuel, insurance, and food costs.