US has attacked 800+ Houthi targets since mid-March, eliminated hundreds of terrorists

The U.S. Central Command announced on Sunday that the military has struck more than 800 targets belonging to the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthi terrorist militia over the past month and a half.

“Since March 15, U.S. Central Command (US CENTCOM) forces have conducted an intense and sustained campaign targeting the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence. These operations have been executed using detailed and comprehensive intelligence ensuring lethal effects against the Houthis while minimizing risk to civilians,” US CENTCOM stated in a press release.

“The operation will continue as long as the Houthis deny the United States freedom of maritime navigation,” the U.S. military continued.

“Our objectives are clear, but we are deliberately discreet about our tactics to maximize impact.”

The United States has reportedly eliminated hundreds of Houthi terrorists during the recent operations, targeting command and control facilities, weapons production plants, weapons depots and aerial defense systems in Yemen.

Meanwhile, on Monday, officials from the Houthi rebel group alleged that a U.S. airstrike on Sunday night hit a prison, killing 68 people and wounding another 47. According to the Houthis, the prison housed African migrants. 

Footage released by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel appeared to show the bodies of several killed and wounded individuals from the aftermath of the strike. The Houthi government claimed that 115 African migrants were being detained at the prison facility. 

At the time of publication, CENTCOM had not released any statement regarding the Houthi claims. However, in a statement released before the Houthi claims were announced, CENTCOM defended its decision to release few details of the strikes it has carried out over the past month-and-a-half.

“To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations,” Central Command said. “We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do.”

Despite the intense military strikes on Iran's proxy, the Houthi rebels have continued to fire ballistic missiles at the Jewish state. The latest missile was intercepted early Sunday morning, after triggering alarm sirens in the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea area.

Later Sunday, the IDF said it shot down a drone approaching "from the east," most likely also launched from Yemen.

Although the overwhelming majority of missiles have been intercepted without causing casualties or physical damage, they have still forced millions of Israelis to occasionally seek shelter.

An unnamed Israeli security official dismissed criticism from some pundits who argue that the U.S. military operations against the Houthis have been ineffective, as Houthi missile attacks on Israel continue.

"The fact that they are firing does not mean anything," the Israeli official assessed in an interview with Ynet News.

"The American operation is very effective. Some Houthis still have the ability to launch, but they are not able to launch many missiles at a time. Most of the launches are intercepted or fall on the way – from Israel's perspective, the Houthi threat is like a pesky fly, mostly,” the official continued, adding, "We need patience."

The Israeli security official stated, "The Americans are doing a good job there; we cannot contribute anything there in an attack," and estimated that "every day for this month and a half, the American attacks are about 10 times what we can do in Yemen in a year."

This assessment is based on the fact that the U.S. military can carry out more sustained attacks from U.S. military vessels located strategically in the area. By contrast, Israeli fighter jets need to fly more than 2,000 kilometers (about 1,400 miles) to reach the Houthi targets in distant Yemen.

Meanwhile, Washington is continuing negotiations with the Iranian regime concerning its clandestine nuclear program. The U.S. is fully aware of the close link between the ayatollah regime in Tehran and its relationship with the Houthis.

“The Houthis are only able to continue attacking our forces because of support from the Iranian regime. Iran is clearly providing the backing,” CENTCOM stated, pledging to “continue tightening the pressure until our goals are achieved, including restoring freedom of navigation and reestablishing American deterrence.”

The Houthis openly call for Israel’s destruction and have fired hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel since the Hamas Oct. 7 massacre in 2023. While initially focusing on the nearby threats of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Israeli Air Force eventually responded by targeting Houthi sites in Yemen.

In late December 2024, Israeli fighter jets targeted Houthi facilities, including the airport in the Houthi-controlled capital Sana’a, which the terror group uses to smuggle weapons supplies from Iran.

The State of Israel has not retaliated against the Houthis for the past three months, likely due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s request to allow the United States to handle the Houthis while the Israeli military focuses on fighting Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.