Why Trump's Houthi policy should avoid full-scale war

President Donald Trump has notably increased U.S. pressure on the Yemen-based Houthi rebels and their sponsors in Iran. But while Trump’s action is justified from a moral and strategic perspective, the president should follow his instinct to avoid an escalation that risks a full-scale regional war.

Since Saturday, the U.S. military has engaged in multiday air strikes on Houthi logistics, command, and combat units in Yemen. These attacks have been launched from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Aden and from U.S. aerial drones based in the region. These strikes seek to deter the Houthis from continuing to target civilian and military vessels transiting the Red Sea.