The Houthis have resumed their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, targeting and sinking two ships over the past days.
This followed an Omani-mediated ceasefire agreement with the US in May 2025, after two months of heavy airstrikes against the Iranian-backed group’s sites.
Commenting on this, the Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State, Colonel (Ret.) Abbas Dahouk, said that these attacks, and other developments in the region, are related to Iran, which plans to use them as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Washington.
Iran’s Signature
“It’s a clear escalation by the Houthis after what is considered a general ceasefire following the US heavy strikes against the group. But if we take it from a regional perspective, it does not fit into the Yemeni strategic domestic calculations,” Col. Dahouk told Al-Arabiya.
“This attack, especially with this scale. In 24 hours they attacked two ships and the attacks were very bold, using drone boats and missiles. It has the IRGC’s signature on it,” he said.
Bargaining Cards
“So, from the strategic perspective, Iran faces a massive pressure to come to the negotiating table. They want some cards at their hands to show they are still viable. One of these cards are the Houthis, to show that Iran still has the support of the Houthis, whether directly or indirectly, and that they can launch operations to obstruct shipping lanes. In 48 hours, they launched missiles toward Israel,” Col. Dahouk explained.
“At the same time, we see this challenge in Lebanon. Hezbollah has refused to implement the ceasefire agreement. All these issues are connected to bring Iran back to the negotiating table as someone recovering from the Israeli strikes over 12 days. It is all related to Iran, in my opinion,” he noted.
US Response
Asked whether the US would respond to these attacks, Col. Dahouk said: “I think for the Trump administration, they feel they did what they could. They know that Houthis will not be defeated from the air or even attacks from the sea.”
“Eventually, they have to have boots on the ground, these troops will not be American, and when the Yemeni government is ready to complement the US role, perhaps in the future. But not at this stage, especially that Trump wants to leverage peace initiatives and reach a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon and wants to negotiate with the Iranian regime regarding their nuclear program,” he added.
“So, the top priority for the US is not to escalate again or resume their attacks on the Houthis because the Israelis are already doing this. So we have to wait to see what they will offer to Iran at the negotiating table,” Col. Dahouk said.
American Priorities
The Former Senior Military Advisor to US Department of State said that Iran is the US’ top priority, not the Houthis. “Definitely it is not priority one. The priority is of course in the source of all these hostile acts, which is Iran,” he said.
“That is priority one for the US in the region and also to come up with some kind of a ceasefire in Gaza. These two things are priorities for the US, and perhaps also achieving stability in Syria and Lebanon. And as I said, they are all connected but Yemen is not among the top five priorities,” Col. Dahouk added.
Yemen’s Dilemma
Col. Dahouk shared his perspectives on the situation in Yemen and how to restore legitimacy. “I think the US is helping them in a security and military sense, like arming them with perhaps new military capability. But it has to come from Yemen. And from an outside perspective, I don’t see Yemen is standing against the Houthis, there is no strong unity against the Houthis and that’s why the Houthis are emboldened and survive,” he said.
“The other perspective, from the US perspective, they expect the region to do more. Yemen is part of the Arabian Peninsula and they may want to revive the Saudi peace negotiations with the Houthis and bring that to more active stage and put political pressure on the Houthis,” he added.
“From the international perspective, we know that Bab Al-Mandab Strait is an international waterway. Even the Chinese, Russians and Europeans have stakes in ensuring it stays safe for the international trade,” Col. Dahouk noted.
He also pointed out that there are “65 countries affected by the Houthi attacks in this Strait, particularly regional countries such as Egypt.”
How to Stop the Houthis
Col. Dahouk said that the US expects from these states and Europe “to do more to pressure the Houthis, the Iranians and perhaps the Chinese.”
He said that the only way to stop the Houthi attacks is to pressure Iran. “The Houthis will not be able to sustain these operations without the Iranian support. The Houthis do not make missile parts or the hard fuel for these rockets they send to Israel. All these come from outside and smuggled to Yemen most likely from Iran. That’s the key, putting more pressure on Iran to suffocate the Houthis’ military capabilities,” he noted.
