The US and UK have carried out air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen with the aim of deterring attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea.
The strikes were also backed by a number of the US and UK’s allies.
Missiles were launched overnight into Friday, hitting dozens of sites – with some casualties reported.
The Houthis say they are not deterred by the attacks, but the US suggests the strikes have damaged the rebel group’s military capability.
But the group has survived much worse – including years of being targeted by the Saudi Air Force.
US President Joe Biden has said he won’t hesitate to take further military action if necessary. But the US has also made clear that it does not want to see a widening conflict in the Middle East.
That suggests that any future US-led military action, if necessary, would again be limited.
Air strikes and long range cruise missiles are the least risky and costly for Mr Biden in an election year. Remember the US has been also using limited airstrikes to target other Iranian backed groups in Iraq and Syria in recent months.
But at best it’s a deterrent. It will not eliminate the threat.
The strikes last night might also have degraded and destroyed some of the Houthi’s ability to launch attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
But in public, at least, they remain defiant. They still have the capacity to launch further attacks.
The only real option left for the US and UK is then doing more of the same – targeting from a distance. The US has bitter recent experience of more direct military action in the region – such as putting boots on the ground.
