Yemen strikes unlikely to end Huthi threat to shipping

WASHINGTON, United States — Recent strikes against Yemen's Huthis are unlikely to end the threat they pose to international shipping, with the Iran-backed rebels having already survived years of heavy aerial bombardment by Gulf states.

US and British forces targeted nearly 30 sites with more than 150 munitions overnight, striking the drone, missile and radar infrastructure the rebels have used to repeatedly attack merchant vessels in the Red Sea in recent weeks.

The United States still has additional military options available and top officials have warned of further action if the attacks continue, but an expanded air campaign in Yemen also risks escalation with Iran, which Washington is keen to avoid.

US Lieutenant General Douglas Sims said Friday that the Huthis have already fired an anti-ship ballistic missile in response to the strikes, and indicated that he anticipates broader fallout.

The Huthis' "rhetoric has been pretty strong and pretty high. I would expect that they will attempt to some sort of retaliation," he told journalists.

Jon Alterman, the director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he thinks the recent strikes will "diminish but not end the Huthi threat to shipping."

"The challenge is making the Huthis conclude that more strikes will hurt their interests. It's far from clear they’ve reached that conclusion yet," he said.

Washington still has further options if the attacks go on, including continuing to strike the Huthis as well as targeting sites were Iranian trainers or experts are located, Alterman said.

Mark Schwartz, a retired US Army lieutenant general and current senior fellow at RAND, likewise said he expects the Huthi attacks on shipping to persist.

"I think that they will continue to try to attack maritime vessels. Probably commercial, maybe not so much military vessels that are out there," Schwartz said, referring to the growing number of warships deployed to the Red Sea to help intercept and deter Huthi drone and missile strikes.

The strikes carried out so far hit military infrastructure, but that could shift to targeting of Huthi military leadership if their attacks on shipping