Houthis Attack U.S. Fighter Jet and Drone

In a close call indicating the tenuous stability of the Red Sea, the Houthis fired surface-to-air missiles at a U.S. F-16 and MQ-9 Reaper drone on February 19 but missed them both, according to reports from Reuters and Fox News. These reports follow earlier Houthi claims that the group has shot down 14 MQ-9 Reaper drones since it began attacks in support of the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023. However, the Pentagon has disputed the total number of drones downed. The Houthis first shot down a U.S. drone in 2017.

On January 22, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to begin the process of re-designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). According to the executive order, the secretary of state has until March 8 to take action to designate the Houthis as an FTO. This designation would impose key economic, legal, and diplomatic penalties on the Houthis aimed at restricting their operations.

U.S. Has Been Fighting Houthis in Red Sea for More Than a Year

In November 2023, the Houthis began attacking international shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in response to the war in Gaza. In December 2023, the United States and partner nations launched a security initiative known as Operation Prosperity Guardian for the purpose of “ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity,” said then U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

At present, the Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, using anti-ship ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned underwater and surface vessels, and aerial drones. The Israeli military stated in January 2025 that the Houthis had launched approximately 40 missiles and more than 300 drones at Israel.

U.S. Central Command has carried out strikes intended to degrade Houthi capabilities. These have included strikes on Houthi surface-to-air missile systems, though the latest Houthi attacks against a U.S. fighter jet and drone suggest that the Yemeni group still retains surface-to-air missile capabilities.

Iran Developing Houthi Capabilities

In July 2024, the Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that “the Houthis have used Iran-supplied weapons to conduct more than 100 land- and sea-based attacks.” Iran has provided the Houthis with a variety of weapons, including drones that can reportedly travel approximately 2,500 kilometers and ballistic and land-attack cruise missiles with ranges around 2,000 kilometers. There is also reason to believe that the Houthis have developed an ability to quickly adapt Iran-provided capabilities to make them more effective.

Yemen Calls on International Community to Act Against Houthis

Moammar al-Eryani, the minister of information for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, has called on “the international community to assume its responsibilities in stopping the chaos practiced by the Houthi militia.” Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, the government’s vice president, argued that now is the time as Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer, is “massively weakened.”

The U.S. Navy has previously seized illegal Iranian weapons intended for the Houthis. Washington should join the United Kingdom in supplying intelligence and material support to the Yemeni Coast Guard, thereby enabling Yemen’s government to act independently against Iranian and Houthi smugglers. In particular, America should encourage Muscat to crack down on smugglers exploiting Omani territory to send arms to the Houthis. Hindering this flow of weapons will decrease the Houthis’ military capabilities.

Likewise, as part of its FTO designation, the United States should establish a visa ban, obligate U.S. banks to block Houthi assets, and enact the extraterritorial application of criminal prosecution against any U.S. person subject to U.S. jurisdiction that provides the Houthis with material support. In addition, Washington should sanction any state or entity that does business with or aids the Houthis.

Bridget Toomey is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), where she focuses on Iranian proxies, specifically Iraqi militias and the Houthis. For more analysis from Bridget and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on national security and foreign policy.