Richard Goldberg
@rich_goldberg
Key Facts on the Houthis to Keep in Mind:
1) The Houthis are not pirates. They are Iran-backed terrorists armed with cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and suicide drones threatening a major waterway. Don't minimize the threat.
2) The Houthis are not an independent actor. Iran directs their actions. Iran supplies their weapons, money, training, etc (via the IRGC and Hezbollah). Don't discuss the Houthis without discussing Iran.
3) Iran provides targeting intelligence to the Houthis to support their strikes. Iran operates a cargo ship that is a cover for an intelligence vessel. We cannot hope to restore deterrence by targeting Houthi infrastructure alone.
4) The Biden administration removed the Houthis from the US terror list in early 2021. It has not re-listed the Houthis to this moment. This raises a policy red flag about the seriousness taking on the Houthis, let alone their Iranian sponsors. The White House is also keeping $10 billion available for Iran via a sanctions waiver. This is also a red flag.
5) The Biden administration pushed the Saudis into a truce with Iran and the Houthis by withdrawing military and intelligence support along with missile defense for Saudi Arabia in its war against the Houthis. Under the terms of the truce, the Saudis are pumping money into Yemen that benefits the Houthis. The Saudis are now urging the US not to escalate in a way that jeopardizes the truce knowing the Biden will not come to KSA's defense. This has made the threat worse.
6) Unless we see significant strikes to degrade Houthi capabilities, target IRGC assets in Yemen or take out the Iranian intelligence ship, it's unlikely we will see deterrence restored.
4:56 PM · Jan 11, 2024
