The Houthi rebels said at least sixty-five people have died since the latest U.S. air campaign began last month (AP)
Meanwhile, satellite images show that at least six U.S. nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers are stationed at a base in the Indian Ocean; it is rare for nearly a third of Washington’s B-2 fleet—planes worth around $1 billion each—to be stationed at a single overseas base (AP)
Overnight U.S. Airstrikes in Yemen’s Capital Kill at Least Three Rebels
The strikes on Sana’a also left twelve wounded, while a separate airstrike on a vehicle in the nearby city of Hajjah killed two (AP)
Trump Administration Used Unclassified Chat to Plan U.S. Houthi Strikes
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz reportedly added The Atlantic’s top editor to a Signal group that discussed confidential plans for the March 15 U.S. strikes on Yemen; the chat reportedly occurred outside the secure government channels that are normally used for classified military planning (Atlantic)
A National Security Council spokesperson said the message thread “appears to be authentic,” while Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters that “nobody was texting war plans” (NYT)
U.S. Forces Continue to Bomb Sana’a as Campaign Against Houthis Reaches Tenth Day
U.S. strikes on Monday killed one person and injured thirteen others in Yemen’s capital, bringing the total to seventy-nine dead, according to the Houthis (Al Jazeera)
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz stated that U.S. strikes have eliminated “key Houthi leadership” along with weapons factories and communication centers (AP)
United States Launches Air Strikes Against Houthi-Led Areas of Yemen
U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the move was meant to protect “freedom of navigation” in the Red Sea—and serve as a warning to Iran; the strikes came after the Houthis announced plans to resume attacks on Israeli ships in response to Israel’s freeze on aid into Gaza (BBC)
A spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry said that fifty-three people were killed in the weekend strikes, including five children and two women, while U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz said the strikes killed multiple Houthi commanders (NYT)
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed to respond by targeting U.S. vessels (Reuters)
Houthis Announce Resumption of Attacks on Israeli Vessels as Aid Blockage to Gaza Continues
The Houthi rebels in Yemen stated that it will target any Israeli ships traveling through its nearby waters, namely the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, to uphold its “humanitarian and moral responsibility” to protect Palestinians and reopen aid entry into Gaza (AP)
Houthis Threaten to Resume Attacks on Israel Over Aid Blockage to Gaza
Houthi leadership gave Israel four days to end its blockade on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, or else it would restart “naval operations” against the country (Reuters)
U.S. Department of State Officially Designates Houthis as Foreign Terrorist Organization
The State Department explained that Tuesday’s decision implements President Trump’s call to re-designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January (Reuters)
Houthi Rebels Fire Surface-to-Air Missiles at U.S. Fighter Jet and Drone
Yemen Urges Lebanon to Arrest Houthi Leaders Attending Funeral of Slain Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah
Yemen’s Information Minister called Nasrallah’s funeral a “cover” for the “Iranian axis” to meet in Beirut, where the funeral will take place on February 23 (Reuters)
Houthis Signal Pause in Attacks if Gaza Deal Moves Forward
The leader of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said the group will monitor the cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas and resume their attacks if it is violated; the Houthis have previously said that they will stop attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea if the Israel-Hamas war ends (Reuters)
Israel Launches Air Assault on Houthi Targets
The retaliatory strikes on the Sana international airport as well as multiple power stations and ports follow a week of stepped-up attacks from the Iran-backed militia group (NYT)
Central Command: U.S. Navy Ship Mistakenly Targeted U.S. Fighter Jet Over Red Sea
The incident is under investigation after two pilots ejected from the jet, with one suffering minor injuries; U.S. forces have been carrying out strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels in response to the Houthi targeting of commercial shipping in the region (NYT)
Israel Strikes Yemen Following Houthi Missile Attack
Israel carried out air strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, and its port city of Hodeida today after the Houthis launched a missile toward central Israel; a Houthi-controlled news channel said that power stations in Sanaa were hit and at least seven people had been killed in Hodeida (AP)
U.S. Navy Foils Drone and Missile Attack by Houthi Rebels
The attack intended to target merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden, U.S. Central Command said (Reuters)
U.S. Stealth Bombers Attack Houthi Weapons Sites in Yemen
The B-2 bomber strikes yesterday evening on underground bunkers containing missiles and other munitions linked to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels appeared to be an escalation of Washington’s campaign to quell Houthi violence; despite months of exchanging strikes, the United States and its allies have not been able to stamp out the group’s attacks (Bloomberg)
This round of strikes was the first time since beginning its operation that the United States has used the stealth bomber to attack the Houthis in Yemen (WaPo)
The Houthis have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea for months, causing a 90 percent drop in container shipping through the strait between December and February (Bloomberg)
The U.S. bomber attack also comes at a time of greater tension in the region: Israel’s strikes on Lebanon continue to expand, with an attack yesterday killing a mayor and fifteen others in the southern town of Nabatieh, according to Lebanese officials (Reuters)
An Israeli strike also hit the Syrian town of Latakia today, according to Syrian state media (Reuters)
Houthi Rebels Attack Liberian Ship
The ballistic missile attack came off the coast of Hodeida, a Houthi stronghold, hitting a Liberian chemical tanker; only one projectile hit and damaged the vessel, while “at least three more projectiles fell in the waters” around it (AP)
Houthi Rebels Launch First Attacks on Commercial Shipping in Weeks
A drone boat loaded with explosives crashed into a ship in the Red Sea yesterday, while a missile exploded against a second ship (AP)
The attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis come amid escalating Iran-Israel tensions and after Israel launched air strikes on Sunday against infrastructure in Yemen it said was used by the Houthis (Times of Israel)
Houthi Missile Strikes Central Israel
No casualties were reported in the rare missile attack claimed by the Yemen-based, Iran-backed Houthi rebels, marking the latest incident to signal a broadening Middle East war; Israel vowed it would retaliate, while a Houthi spokesperson said the group would continue such attacks to press Israel into changing its posture in the Gaza Strip (NYT)
Hamas and the Houthis have both quietly opened offices in Iraq, the New York Times reported Sunday (NYT)
Houthi Allow Tanker They Attacked to Be Towed Over Oil Spill Risk
The Greek-flagged Sounion tanker poses an environmental hazard as it is carrying one million barrels of crude oil, shipping officials said, and, at that scale, any spill from the vessel could be one of the largest in recorded history; Iran’s mission to the United Nations said the Yemen-based Houthi rebels, which Tehran supports, will allow it to be towed in the Red Sea.(Reuters)
Iran-backed Houthi Rebels Claim Yesterday’s Attack That Damaged Tanker in Red Sea
A European Union (EU) naval mission later rescued those on board; it was the most damaging attack on a commercial ship there in over two months (FT)
Greek-Flagged Oil Tanker Attacked Off Yemen Coast
The vessel was attacked by projectiles and damaged today, while no injuries were immediately reported, Greek and United Kingdom (UK) authorities said; the UK shipping authority said there was a brief exchange of fire during the incident, which occurred near Yemen (Reuters)
It was unclear who was responsible, but Iran-backed Houthi rebels have attacked multiple commercial ships in the area (AP)
UN Envoy to Yemen: Houthi Threat to Shipping Is Increasing
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels’ threat to international shipping “is increasing in scope and precision” with “no signs of de-escalation, let alone a solution,” UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council; the United States and United Kingdom (UK) have carried out a strategy against the Houthis that includes air strikes on military targets in Houthi-controlled areas (Reuters)
Israel Strikes Port in Yemen, Intercepts Incoming Missile
Israeli fighter jets bombed a port in Yemen on Saturday in what was retaliation for a deadly strike on Tel Aviv by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels; the health ministry in Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital said the strikes killed three people and wounded dozens of others (NYT)
Israel’s military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen (AP)
Houthis Claim Attack on Tel Aviv That Killed One
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels carried out a drone attack near the U.S. consulate in Tel Aviv, killing one person and wounding at least ten; it was the first deadly Houthi attack on the city since the war in the Gaza Strip began last October when Hamas militants attacked Israel (AP)
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the country will “settle the score” with anyone who attacks it (Times of Israel)