Want to Defeat the Houthis? Here’s How to Do It

This article, “Want to Defeat the Houthis? Here’s How to Do It,” written by Michael Rubin, argues that the Houthis in Yemen are getting stronger and that the international community, particularly the U.S., isn’t doing enough to counter them.

Here’s a breakdown of the key points:

• The Problem: The Houthis are a growing threat, backed by Iran with advanced drones. They attack not only Israel but also the Southern Transitional Council (STC), the most effective anti-Houthi force in Yemen.

• The Ineffectiveness of Current Strategies:

  • The Saudi-backed Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council is undermined by internal divisions and Saudi Arabia’s appeasement policy towards the Houthis.

  • The international community isn’t providing adequate support (specifically drones and drone defense) to forces actively fighting the Houthis, like the STC. The STC is forced to buy inferior commercial drones.

  • The UN, through the Stockholm Agreement and the actions of certain member states (Iran, China, Russia, and Oman), inadvertently supports the Houthis.

• The Author’s Proposed Solution:

  • Provide the STC with drones and drone defense technology.

  • Establish a joint U.S. base in Aden, a strategic port city. This would:

    • Help protect the coast from weapons smugglers.

    • Signal U.S. commitment to ending the Houthi threat.

    • Enable the international coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandab Strait.

    • Be welcomed by the Southern Transitional Council.

In essence, the author criticizes the current approach to the Houthi conflict as insufficient and advocates for a more assertive U.S. policy, including direct military support for the STC and a permanent U.S. presence in Aden.

The complete piece is as follows:

Want to Defeat the Houthis? Here’s How to Do It

The Saudis May, on Paper, Oppose the Houthis, but in Actuality, They Prefer to Appease Them in Exchange for Quiet

By Michael Rubin

Rashad al Alimi, the Riyadh-based chairman of Yemen‘s Presidential Leadership Council, used his September 25, 2025, United Nations speech to warn the international community that the “Houthis are only getting stronger.”

Of course, his own behavior is in part to blame as he continues to take Saudi diktats and works to undermine any competitors who show themselves more competent or demonstrate greater on-the-ground legitimacy than he does.

The international community refuses to provide those forces who actually do fight the Houthis with the drones necessary to stalemate, let alone defeat them.

The Saudis may, on paper, oppose the Houthis, but in actuality, they prefer to appease them in exchange for quiet.

Beyond the factionalism and infighting inherent in the Presidential Leadership Council, another problem hampers the anti-Houthi fight: the refusal of the international community to provide those forces who actually do fight the Houthis with the drones necessary to stalemate, let alone defeat them.

Consider: The Islamic Republic of Iran provides the Houthis with advanced drones. While the group’s drone attacks on Israel make headlines, the Iranian-backed groups also use drones against the Southern Transitional Council, the most successful military force against the Houthis, and the component of the legal government that governs most Yemeni territory.

The Southern Transitional Council must buy its drones, but can only do so commercially. None of the commercial drones the Southern Transitional Council possesses is superior to those the Houthis possess. Adding insult to injury, the companies that sell low-grade surveillance drones to the Southern Transitional Council report their serial numbers to China and/or the U.N.

While in theory the U.N. opposes the Houthis and views the internationally recognized government as Yemen’s legitimate government, in reality, the U.N. provides cover for Houthi supply through the misguided Stockholm Agreement and through the actions of individual U.N. members such as Iran, China, Russia, and Oman.

Nor have the United States or other countries responded to the Southern Transitional Council’s request for equipment to counter Houthi drones. The Houthis are so emboldened that locals in Aden say they sometimes send drones over government buildings in the south, mostly for surveillance but theoretically to target individuals.

The refusal to provide such technology belies the seriousness with which the U.S., Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and others say they take the Houthis’ threat. When doctors seek to reverse an infection, they prescribe antibiotics with a warning: Even after the symptoms fade, take the full course lest the infection rages back even stronger.

The same holds true with firefighters battling wildfires: Never put out 90% of the fire and go home, lest the flame return with a vengeance. And yet, when countering the Houthis, the international community does just that.

Aden’s natural harbor has been a logistics hub for centuries. That was why the British initially established their presence in the city.

If the U.S. wanted to go further and truly consolidate regional stability, it would establish a joint base in Aden, much as it operates joint bases with Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan, Qatar, and Turkey. Aden’s natural harbor has been a logistics hub for centuries. That was why the British initially established their presence in the city.

To augment the Southern Transitional Council’s coast guard would both help protect the coast from weapons smugglers and signal to Saudi Arabia, Oman, and other countries seeking to play both sides of the issue that the U.S. is serious about ending the threat the Houthis represent.

Presence alone, as in Somaliland’s Berbera, would enable the international coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandab, one of the world’s most strategic waterways. Most importantly, southern authorities would welcome a U.S. presence.

Peace comes not from signing ceremonies, but from careful preparation and denying oxygen to the enemy.

If President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth care about defeating the Houthis, it is time to take the next step: drones, drone defense, and perhaps even a permanent U.S. presence in Aden.