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New U.S. Strikes Reported in Houthi-Controlled Sanaa

An F/A-18 fighter takes off from the deck of USS Harry S. Truman carrying a bomb loadout, March 26 (USN)
An F/A-18 fighter takes off from the deck of USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea March 26 (USN)

Published Mar 27, 2025 9:36 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Airstrikes have been reported for another night in Sanaa, Yemen, as U.S. forces continue to hit the Houthi rebel militia. Earlier in the day, the group launched two more ballistic missiles at targets in Israel, demonstrating that it retains the capacity for long-range attacks. 

Local reports indicate that the latest American airstrikes hit the airport in Sanaa, as well as the Houthi military headquarters in the city center. 

The strikes are more sustained than the campaign carried out by the previous administration last year, and more intense as well, according to a review by the AP. Satellite imaging and radio traffic also reveal a buildup of bomber forces at Diego Garcia, the strategic base that the U.S. leases from Britain in the Indian Ocean. The rare deployment of seven B-2 stealth bombers at this remote airfield - a third of the entire inventory - has raised speculation about possible escalation against Houthi targets, or even against their sponsors in Iran. The B-2 has many capabilities, including one that could be particularly relevant: it is the only U.S. aircraft certified to carry the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Pentetrator (MOP, or GBU-57/B). This is the largest U.S. bunker-buster bomb, and would provide more capability for hitting hardened tunnels and command posts. 

If the Houthis are hit hard by U.S. strikes, it would not be the first time: a U.S.-supplied force tried to defeat them on the ground for the better part of a decade, but despite billions spent, the Houthis expanded their reach and dug in. 

"The Houthi leadership has been taken out in history in the past, and they are resilient," Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan (USN, ret'd) told AP. "They came back and they grew stronger. So this isn’t something that is a one-and-done."