A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet flies in the U.S. Central Command area of operations on March 23, 2025. The Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 143, is part of a large-scale operation against Iran-backed Houthis to restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. (Gerald Willis/U.S. Air Force)
Hundreds of American strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in recent weeks have dealt a serious blow to the militant group’s ability to keep up attacks on military and commercial ships in the Middle East, according to U.S. Central Command.
While the Houthis continue to target the Harry S. Truman and Carl Vinson carrier strike groups, CENTCOM said in a statement Sunday that the number of ballistic missile launches by the group has dropped by 69%, and Houthi drone attacks have declined by 55%.
U.S. forces have launched more than 800 attacks against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in the last six weeks, the statement said.
Dubbed Operation Rough Rider, the sustained campaign of airstrikes has killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and leaders, including senior missile and drone officials, CENTCOM said.
They’ve also taken out multiple command-and-control facilities, air defense systems and weapons storage and production sites.
Since launching the campaign in mid-March, the White House has faced questions about the purpose and effectiveness of the attacks, which it says are meant to stop the Houthis from targeting shipping in the Red Sea, one of the globe’s busiest commercial corridors.
President Donald Trump has also used the attacks to pressure Iran during negotiations about its nuclear program.
The Pentagon has declined to confirm or deny Houthi claims about shooting down U.S MQ-9 Reaper drones. On Sunday, CENTCOM said it is being strategic about how much information it releases to ensure operational security.
The Associated Press reported that the rebels shot down seven drones in less than six weeks and suggested that their aim may be improving.
Airstrikes alone are unlikely to defeat the Houthis, according to analysts, who point to support from Iran and its robust supply chains that funnel weapons, drugs and fuel to Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen.
The scale of military materiel and technology being provided to the Houthis is unprecedented, according to an October report from a U.N. panel of experts.
The Houthis also have a higher risk tolerance than Iran and excessive confidence as a result of surviving nearly a decade of strikes by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, researchers at the London-based Chatham House recently noted.
U.S. strikes destroyed the ability of the Houthis’ Ras Isa Port to accept fuel, cutting off a major revenue generator for the group, according to CENTCOM.
