US Airstrikes Intensify on Yemen: Is a Ground Invasion Imminent?
As US forces ramp up airstrikes against Houthi military sites, tensions continue to rise, with ongoing missile and drone attacks in the region.
Watan-On Tuesday, US aircraft intensified airstrikes on sites, military barracks, weapon storage facilities, and rocket launch platforms belonging to the Houthi group in several Yemeni provinces. US airstrikes targeted two rocket launch platforms in the Al-Barqa Mountain, overlooking the Al-Makbana district west of Taiz, in southwestern Yemen. The air raids continued in the Al-Hazm district, the capital of Al-Jawf Governorate in the northeast of the country, hitting Houthi military sites and barracks.
The US airstrikes have repeatedly targeted the Al-Hazm district, which houses sites, camps, weapon storage, and gatherings belonging to the Houthi group, due to its strategic importance as it borders the oil-rich Marib Governorate in northeastern Yemen. Additionally, early today, a series of airstrikes were carried out on Marib Governorate, targeting Houthi military positions in the Majzar, Sirwah, and Al-Abdiyah districts.
Heavy airstrikes also continued in Sana’a, targeting weapon storage facilities in the Jabal Nehm area to the east of the capital, leading to multiple explosions as a result of the targeting. Airstrikes also hit Houthi positions in the Khawlan district east of Sana’a.
In a new development, the US military has intensified its strikes on frontline areas as part of “fire preparation for an imminent ground operation,” targeting Houthi positions in the Al-Tahita district in southern Al-Hudaydah Governorate, western Yemen, with more than 25 airstrikes on Monday. These airstrikes coincided with intensive strikes on Kamaran Island in Al-Hudaydah, a strategically important island for the Houthis due to the military tunnels dug there and their large military presence, as well as military barracks and command and control centers.
Since mid-last month, the US military has continued targeting cities and sites in Yemen, leading to dozens of casualties, including women and children, destruction of residential buildings, and power outages in some areas. US President Donald Trump has vowed that Iran will bear responsibility for every bullet fired by the Houthis in Yemen.
Since November 2023, the Houthi group has launched missile, drone, and naval attacks against Israeli, American, and British ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea. They also target Israeli sites in the occupied Palestinian territories in retaliation for the ongoing genocide in Gaza.