In January 2024 the Biden administration, along with Britain, launched missile strikes against dozens of targets in Yemen
But Houthi leaders did not back down and they stepped up their attacks on shipping vessels and continued to fire drones and missiles at Israel, most of which were shot down before reaching Israeli territory
For more than a year, Biden avoided the most clear-cut path to stopping the Red Sea attacks and US escalation against the Houthis:
Biden's administration failed to apply pressure on the Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, to end Israel’s assault on Gaza and accept a ceasefire with Hamas
Quote
How about pressure onterroriststo release all the hostages and "Out! Out! Out!terroristsmust get out!"
Biden refused to withhold billions of dollars in US weapons or to stop providing political cover for Israel at the United Nations Security Council UNSC and other international bodies
Instead, the Biden administration continued to insist that it could bring the Houthis to heel by force Biden’s strategy failed to secure international shipping in the Red Sea
Quote
And the Houthis, who were losing support inside Yemen before the Gaza war, turned US attacks into a public relations bonanza
Houthi leaders portrayed themselves as one of the few movements in the Arab world willing to defend the Palestinian cause and fight Israel and its western allies — in contrast to Arab governments that stayed on the sidelines and occasionally issued statements condemning Israel’s war
The Houthis also used the Gaza conflict to elevate their profile within the so-called “axis of resistance” a network of regional militias supported by Iran
Two of the main factions in this alliance, Hamas and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, were decimated by the Israeli military over the past 18 months, providing a new opening for Houthi leaders to enhance their popularity throughout the Middle East
