The Houthis — whose military capabilities were honed by more than eight years of fighting against a Saudi-led coalition — have greeted the prospect of war with the United States with open delight. The officials are emphasizing that difference so that they can try to contain a wider war even as they ramp up their specific response to the Houthi attacks. For the Biden administration, the decision to finally strike back at the Houthis was three months in coming. Several administration officials said that the United States was also wary of disrupting the tenuous truce in Yemen. But the effort wasn’t enough to stop the Houthi attacks.

Source: International New York Times January 11, 2024 23:57 UTC