Yemen’s Houthis likely to be ‘persistent problem’ for US, military official says
Air force general warns American military will ‘be dealing with’ Iran-backed rebels ‘a few times again,’ despite month-old truce with US after bombing campaign
The Houthi group in Yemen will likely be a “persistent problem” for the US in the future, a senior US military official said on Tuesday, even after Washington and the Houthis reached an agreement last month that ended a US air campaign against the Iran-backed group, which controls much of Yemen.
“The Houthis are likely to be a persistent problem… that we’ll be dealing with in the future a few times again,” Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, director for operations of the Joint Staff, told lawmakers.
Grynkewich has been nominated to lead the US military’s European Command.
Last month, US President Donald Trump announced the US would stop bombing the Houthis, who had been firing at US warships and commercial vessels off Yemen’s coast since November 2023.
The US military said it struck more than 1,000 targets during its operation in Yemen, known as Operation Rough Rider. The strikes, the US military said, killed “hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders.”
Rights groups voiced concerns about civilian casualties during the bombing campaign.
The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas-led massacre and hostage-taking that started the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
The group, which had said it was acting in solidarity with Palestinians, stopped firing at US ships under the May 2025 agreement, though it has continued to attack Israel directly.
Last week, the Houthis said they would again target US ships in the Red Sea if Washington were to become involved in Israeli attacks on Iran.
However, they did not resume attacks after the US struck three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.
On Monday, Trump announced an Israel-Iran ceasefire deal. The nascent truce was shaken shortly thereafter, when Iran fired at Israel and Israel threatened a heavy response, but as of Tuesday evening, it appeared to be holding.
The Times of Israel Community.