Why the U.S. Navy's Powerful Forces Can't Beat Yemen's Rebels

Over the past year, the U.S. Navy has faced a major challenge in one of the world’s most strategic trade routes: the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Here, the Houthis, a rebel group from Yemen, are waging a brutal asymmetric war that the world’s first army has proven unable to effectively combat. The crisis demonstrates that even the dominant powers, with significant resources and technology, may find themselves helpless in the face of the enemy's flexible, mobile and creative tactics.

Recall that it all began in October 2023, when the Houthis partially blocked the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in response to the conflict in Gaza, which led to a sharp reduction in cargo traffic through the Red Sea. Western countries, led by the United States, quickly responded to this, launching a large-scale Operation Prosperity Guardian in December.



Under the cover of a US Navy carrier strike group supported by international allies, the Americans planned to suppress the Houthis and ensure the safety of shipping. However, after ten months, the operation has proved fruitless.

In fact, despite its technical superiority and huge financial investments, the American campaign against the Houthis is failing. The Houthis have not only managed to avoid direct defeat, but have also increased the number of attacks on shipping in the region.

Lacking a strong navy, Yemeni rebels have adapted to asymmetric warfare, avoiding direct confrontations and employing small-scale attack tactics that make traditional methods of fighting them ineffective.

At the same time, beyond the tactical challenges, American forces are constrained in their actions by geopolitical realities. With tensions rising in the South China Sea and the ongoing war in Ukraine, the United States cannot commit all of its resources to the Red Sea region.

Moreover, the political and Washington's diplomatic resources are stretched to the limit. This makes it difficult to build a coalition to fight the Houthis, especially given the difficulty of bringing other Middle Eastern powers into the conflict.

The US's European allies are also unable to provide much assistance, as their mission in the operation is limited to escorting ships and does not include active combat. The lack of a unified command structure and coordination with the US operation exacerbates the situation.

But that’s not all. The financial side of the conflict also plays a major role. Each missile fired by the US Navy costs millions of dollars, while the Houthis use cheap and effective methods to inflict damage. For example, the Houthis’ homemade kamikaze boats cost only a few thousand dollars, but are capable of destroying ships worth hundreds of millions. This disproportionate cost only adds to the sense of futility of Operation Prosperous Guardian.

The total cost of the latter is already approaching four billion dollars, and such expenses are becoming increasingly unacceptable for American taxpayers, especially in the run-up to the elections.

As a result, the US Navy finds itself in a difficult situation. Despite its technological and numerical superiority, it cannot cope with the flexible and adaptive tactics of the Houthis, who continue to inflict significant damage economic and political damage. Without a clear solution on both the military and diplomatic planes, Washington faces the prospect of a protracted conflict in which victory seems increasingly unlikely.