Trump’s Bombast Towards Yemen
and Iran Could Sink his Presidency
Larry C. Johnson / Sonar21

(March 15, 2025) — Many people who cast their vote for Donald Trump did so in the hope that he would fulfill his promise and not embroil America in a needless war. Looks like Trump is breaking his promise, with today’s bombing of Yemen.

The ostensible reason for Trump signing off on the airstrikes in Yemen is to provide freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. But the real reason is that Trump is a captive of the Zionist lobby and he is following the same, feckless policy that Joe Biden pursued.

Trump foolishly believes that he can bomb Yemen into submission and make the Red Sea safe for ships that serve the interests of the Zionist state.

Let’s focus on the facts. When Israel and Hamas agreed to a US-brokered ceasefire in January, the Houthis stopped attacking on vessels owned by Israelis or ships carrying goods destined for Israel.

The Houthis honored that agreement until now. Because Israel refused to adhere to the second phase of the agreement and stopped letting humanitarian aid into Gaza, the Houthis renewed their attacks…

I think that Donald Trump will come to regret his juvenile threats to the Houthis and Iran. Trump would like you to believe that Joe Biden and crew pulled their punches after then Secretary of Defense Austin launched Operation Prosperity Guardian. Trump apparently believes that Biden only needed to do more bombing in order to force the Houthis to surrender. That is a bad assumption.

According to Houthi claims, they have shot down 13 MQ-9 Reaper drones since October 2023, when the Israel-Hamas conflict began. A Reaper has a minimum price tag of $30 million. If the Houthi claim is accurate, that means they have downed drones worth at least $390 million.

Operation Prosperity Guardian, which was launched on December 18, 2023 to counter Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and ensure freedom of navigation in the region, remains operational.

Key Aspects

Coalition Membership: The operation initially claimed to have more than 20 members, with ten participating anonymously [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Prosperity_Guardian]. However, some key allies, including Turkey, Germany, Egypt, South Korea, and Japan, were not named as participants.

Military Actions:

• On January 11, 2024, the coalition launched its first airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
• The operation has involved the deployment of some of the world’s most advanced warships for an extended period.

Challenges:

• As of March 2025, the operation has failed to dissuade the Houthis and stop attacks on shipping through the region. It was the negotiated ceasefire, not military operations, that persuaded the Houthis to halt their attacks.
• The operation has faced difficulties in gaining public support from some allies, with countries like Italy, India, and France opting to send ships independently. In light of the growing tension between the US and its European allies, it is unlikely that more will sign on to Trump’s current campaign.

Impact on Global Trade

The Houthi attacks have significantly disrupted maritime commerce:

• Container shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb strait dropped by 90% since October 2023..
• Many shipping companies rerouted vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit times by up to 40% and causing freight rates and war insurance costs to skyrocket.

Recent Developments

Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50 assumed responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian from Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 on 4 February 2025. Then there is today (Saturday):

The following photo reportedly shows a couple of the victims of the US bombing. I strongly suspect the dead child was not involved in Houthi missile launches:

This is now Donald Trump’s war. I believe he’s going to learn, much to his chagrin, that no amount of aerial bombs and missile strikes will dissuade the Houthis from retaliating.

There is nothing the US can do militarily — short of using a nuke — that will stop the Houthis from launching new attacks on ships in the Red Sea and on Israel. If the Houthis manage to sink or seriously damage a US naval vessel, Trump will be tempted to expand the attacks and may go after Iran. If that happens, Trump will have sealed the fate of his Presidency. Instead of being a peacemaker, he will be a President embroiled in another needless foreign war.

Comment
Michael L — In case anyone really thought Trump would be the “peaceful” president; “47 US airstrikes ­ ordered by US President Donald Trump.”
“Trump vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Iran-backed group ceases their attacks warning Tehran that he would hold them “fully accountable.”
How soon will we be officially at war with Iran?