Here, the US faces a dilemma similar to that which Israel faced vis-à-vis Hamas in Gaza.

In both cases, the Islamist enemy is largely indifferent to losses of life among its own people, and unlikely to even be inclined to change direction as a result of losses among its own personnel or of its own equipment.

At this point, the US faces options regarding the Houthis similar to those that Israel faced regarding Gaza – namely, escalate or effectively concede.

1. Either a decision must be taken to destroy or severely degrade the enemy, or
2. it must be accepted that the Houthis, while they can be engaged in a tit-for-tat exchange of fire in which they pay the higher cost,
3. cannot at present be defeated.

It is against this background that the recent reports of a possible ground offensive against the Houthis by Yemeni government and allied troops should be understood. Reports suggesting that such an offensive may be imminent have surfaced in major US and regional media over the last two weeks.

An article in The Wall Street Journal on April 15 noted that the idea of the ground action came because of a perception among elements of the official Yemeni government that the US bombing campaign had severely damaged the Houthis’ capacities, creating a window of opportunity.

Such an offensive, if it comes, is likely to be directed against Yemen’s western coastal zone.