Trump Urged to Back Yemen Forces as Houthi Attacks Escalate in Red Sea

In a volatile turn of events in the Middle East, pressure is mounting on President Donald Trump to throw his weight behind Yemen’s legitimate government in a bid to dismantle the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist regime. The Houthis have ramped up their deadly assaults on cargo ships in the Red Sea and even targeted Israel, drawing sharp condemnation from the U.S. State Department.

Middle East expert Walid Phares has sounded the alarm, suggesting that Iran is merely stalling through negotiations to rearm and push its regional agenda. He advocates for a robust strategy: assembling a ground force of loyal Yemeni units and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to reclaim key territories like the port city of Hodeidah. A coordinated pincer movement, supported by allied airpower, could squeeze the Houthis out of power, paving the way for a pro-Western Yemeni government free from Tehran’s grip.

Despite Trump’s earlier decision to halt military strikes—hoping the Houthis would stand down—the group seems to have reneged on their word, continuing their attacks on vital shipping routes. The Department of Defense has made it clear they’re ready to act decisively if American personnel are threatened, though they’re keeping future plans under wraps.

Recent Houthi aggression has had devastating consequences, including the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas, with lives lost and environmental risks mounting from oil slicks in the Red Sea. Israel, too, has retaliated with airstrikes on Houthi ports after a suspected attack on a Liberian-flagged ship, signaling that the conflict is far from cooling down.

The Houthis’ campaign, tied to the broader Gaza conflict, has disrupted a critical trade corridor handling $1 trillion in goods annually. With their chilling slogan invoking hostility toward the U.S. and Israel, and Trump’s swift redesignation of the group as a terrorist organization, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The question remains: will a renewed push on the ground turn the tide, or are we in for a longer, messier fight?