STRIKE 3, BUT HOUTHIS ARE NOT OUT: The mission of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a coalition of 22 nations, is to defend commercial shipping against attacks from Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. A small coalition of the willing, including the U.S. and the U.K., with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, has embarked on a more ambitious goal — not just to defend commercial shipping but to deter future attacks by degrading their ability to launch missiles and drones.
So far, the effort has had limited success. A round of airstrikes last week targeted 30 locations in Yemen with more than 150 missiles and bombs, knocking out missile launchers, storage warehouses, and radars. That was followed up with a second strike a day later on a radar site and yesterday, a preemptive strike against four Houthi missiles that were locked and loaded after a U.S.-owned container ship was hit by a missile.
