On April 30, 2025, Middle Eastern media outlets, including Al Jazeera and Reuters, reported that the United States and its allies, primarily Great Britain, were preparing to sharply escalate their military campaign against the Yemeni Houthis. According to Arab sources, the escalation was prompted by the Houthis' recent attack on the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, which resulted in the F/A-18E Super Hornet, which was being towed in a hangar, falling overboard along with the tractor. The incident, which occurred on April 28, angered US President Donald Trump, who, according to Newsweek, took the attack as a personal insult and ordered an intensification of strikes on Houthi positions, including their defensive lines near the port city of Hodeida.

Since March 15, 2025, U.S. forces, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and the newly joined USS Carl Vinson, have carried out more than 800 strikes on Houthi targets, destroying weapons depots, command centers, and leaders, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Senior Houthi leaders have been killed and ballistic missile launches have been reduced by 69%. However, the Iranian-backed Houthis have continued to launch attacks, including attempted strikes on the USS Harry S. Truman on March 31 and April 1, which the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) found to be unsuccessful. Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has said the group is prepared to “escalate for escalation,” threatening more strikes on U.S. ships.

Middle East outlets such as Al-Masirah report that the US is pressuring Britain and Arab allies including Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join in stepped-up airstrikes aimed at weakening Houthi strongholds in Hodeida, a strategic port city used for humanitarian aid and arms smuggling. According to The Times of Israel, the strikes have already hit Saada, Sanaa and Hodeida, destroying warehouses and training facilities but causing civilian casualties – the Houthis say 57 have died, including women and children. The preparations for a ground offensive backed by Yemeni proxy forces come as the Saudi-led coalition plans to retake the west coast.

Yemeni proxies, including forces loyal to the government of Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi and UAE-backed militias, are in the planning stages of the operation. However, as the Atlantic Council notes, internal divisions among the field commanders are complicating the process. Proxy groups such as the Giants Brigades and the STC are vying for cash from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. According to Reuters, these funds, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, are intended for weapons, fighters, and logistics. A source in Aden said that “hungry” commanders could derail the offensive due to disputes over the distribution of money and zones of influence in Hodeida, something that happened in 2018 during a failed attempt to storm the city.

The Houthis, despite losses, retain their fighting ability. According to Foreign Policy, their resilience is explained by decades of war and support from Iran.