U.S., British Strike at Least 60 Targets, 28 Locations in Yemen

So far, President Joe Biden’s administration has tried to deal with the Iranian proxies individually, but this policy has failed to deter Iran, which supports these groups with lethal aid and intelligence, said Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East Security program at the Center for a New American Security think tank in Washington, D.C.

The United States needs to impose costs on Iran directly to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East, Lord told Task & Purpose.

“There’s no limit to the number of Yemenis, Lebanese, and Iraqis that Tehran is willing to sacrifice for the opportunity to bloody the U.S., Israel, and to destabilize regional order,” Lord said. “Until the administration can articulate a policy and a strategy that confronts and holds Iran accountable for its actions behind the Houthis and the other groups, violence will only continue to grow.”

Lord also said he would not be surprised if the Houthis tried to launch a large salvo of drones and missiles at the Red Sea or attack U.S. partners in the region to prove they are still a threat and that anyone who sides with the United States is a target.

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