Recalibrating US Engagement in Yemen Under a New Trump Administration
January 25, 2025 
The military escalation between the United States and the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen has significant implications for Yemen’s future. As the Houthis continue to consolidate control in the capital Sanaa, US involvement will play a crucial role in Yemen’s political and military trajectory. For the incoming Trump administration, the challenges posed by Yemen loom large, presenting a complex array of geopolitical risks with direct implications for US strategic interests. But the path forward should be clear: the Trump White House should not cling to Biden’s failed approach to Yemen.
The Houthi Challenge
To signal support for Palestine, less than two weeks after Israel began its assault on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis began to attack maritime shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, targeting American and international vessels supposedly linked to Israel, and launched strikes on Israel itself. Beyond the symbolic gestures of support for Palestinians, these actions placed global trade at risk, as the Red Sea—a vital lifeline for international commerce—became a dangerous battleground, and threatened to expand