Introduction: Hamas in Gaza could not withstand the Israeli bombing and suffered heavy losses, leaving them with no choice but to compromise in front of the United States. Hezbollah in Lebanon gave a disappointing performance when facing Israeli strikes, failing to demonstrate the combat capabilities expected by the outside world. The Syrian Bashar government collapsed without fighting against the opposition armed forces. Iran's "resistance arc" in the Middle East has collapsed one by one, and now only the Houthi forces are still holding on. [Houthis Image] The Houthi forces, known as the "flip-flop army," were considered the least promising part of Iran's resistance arc, yet their actual performance has been the best. Since the outbreak of the new round of Palestinian-Israeli conflict in October 2023, the Houthi forces have continuously harassed U.S. and Israeli warships and vessels through maritime embargoes, air blockades, and missile saturation attacks. They also targeted Israeli territory to create panic, severely damaging Israel's economy and directly challenging U.S. military hegemony in the Middle East. By using low-cost drones, missiles, and flexible tactics, the Houthi forces have become the most troublesome non-state actor in the Middle East for the U.S. and Israel. 1 Seizing the Achilles' heel of the U.S., the Houthis boldly declared a maritime embargo, vividly demonstrating an "economic strangulation war" on the Red Sea route. Against the backdrop of large-scale U.S. airstrikes, the Houthi forces made a high-profile announcement of an embargo on the U.S. It was reported that the Houthi forces announced from May 17th onwards, prohibiting American oil-carrying ships from sailing in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab el Mandeb Strait, and Indian Ocean. The Houthi forces clearly stated that any ship violating the embargo would face sanctions and be attacked by Houthi naval forces. [Houthis attacking a vessel] The embargo imposed by the Houthi forces will bring significant economic burdens to the U.S. According to relevant data, the Houthi maritime embargo has cut off Israel's sea trade arteries with Asia and Europe, forcing 75% of U.S. merchant ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, increasing the journey from 20 days on the Red Sea route to 40 days, with freight costs surging by $1 million per ship. The cargo volume of major ports such as Eilat Port plummeted by 70%, with weekly losses exceeding $300 million. In March 2025, the freight rates of U.S. shipping companies rose by 220% year-on-year, and some routes were forced to stop operations. The Houthi forces continuously target Western escort carrier warships, including those of the U.S. and the U.K., while also targeting embargoed American and related American ships. Although Houthi attacks rarely cause fatal damage, they constantly keep the U.S. in trouble, dragging it into a quagmire. By using low-cost tactics (such as drones costing $5,000 each and missiles costing $20,000), the Houthis attack high-value targets of the U.S. military (like aircraft carriers worth $1.3 billion), forcing the U.S. to activate expensive interception systems (with each interception costing $14 million), creating an "1:700" economic consumption ratio. This asymmetric tactic has left the U.S. in a "intercepting equals loss" dilemma, consuming its military budget resources over the long term. Multiple U.S. airstrikes only destroyed 20%-30% of the Houthi offensive capability, and the Houthi's attack capability continues to improve, indicating the failure of the U.S. response. By controlling the strategic throat of the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the Houthis have transformed shipping routes into "wartime economic levers," charging "protection fees" to merchant ships (averaging $30 million per month) and using funds to strengthen their armaments, creating a "fighting richer" cycle, which has seriously damaged the U.S. image. 2 Air blockade of Israel, the Houthi forces becoming the "savior" in the Middle East, putting Israel in a dilemma. Xinhua News Agency reported that Yehya Sarea, a spokesperson for the Yemeni Houthi forces, said on the evening of April 4th that the organization will continue to launch missile attacks on all Israeli airports, including Ben Gurion International Airport, to impose a "comprehensive air blockade" on Israel. The Houthi forces used hypersonic ballistic missiles (such as the "Palestinian-2" type missiles) to attack Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel, causing the airport to suspend operations and directly affecting the arrival and departure of international flights and passenger safety. [Houthis launching missiles] The Houthi air blockade brings great uncertainty, affecting shipping safety and increasing fear. Sarea simultaneously requested international airlines to take the warnings issued by the Houthi forces seriously and immediately cancel all flights to Israeli airports. Although the direct attack on flights heading to Israel is unlikely, this threat itself brings great uncertainty, thus causing public fear, which naturally affects corresponding air travel. The aerial blockade and continuous attacks carried out by the Houthi forces on Israel have significantly impacted Israel's military, economy, society, and regional situation. If the aerial blockade continues, it may further affect Israel's air cargo and tourism industries. Israel's economy is already under full pressure, leading to more domestic political instability. Frequent missile attacks increase Israel's concerns about security situations, requiring the government to invest more resources in civil defense and emergency responses, further increasing social operational costs. The wildfires in Israel intertwined with economic difficulties will trigger further chain reactions. 3 The Houthi missiles single-handedly challenge the U.S. Aegis, THAAD, and Israeli Arrow missile defense systems, boosting global confidence in overcoming U.S.-Israeli weapon systems. The Houthi high-speed hypersonic missiles (with speeds up to 16 Mach) and drone combinations have caused significant impacts on Israel's "Arrow-2" and "Arrow-3" anti-missile systems and the U.S.-deployed "THAAD" system. In the latest attack, both the U.S. THAAD and Israeli Arrow missile interception systems failed completely, exposing the huge vulnerabilities of the U.S. and Israel. The next step for the Houthi forces will be to focus on attacking Tel Aviv International Airport, Nevatim Air Base (home to F-35 jets), and the Jerusalem power plant, placing immense pressure on Israel's defense systems. In March 2025, the Houthi forces launched a mixed attack of "18 ballistic missiles + drones" on the U.S. aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Harry Truman. Although the U.S. claimed to intercept 11 drones, the Houthi "missile rain" tactics forced the carrier to retreat to a safe area, exposing the vulnerability of the U.S. maritime defense system. By 2025, 13 U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones had been shot down. Israel's "Arrow-3" system, which cost $5 billion and was once claimed to intercept exo-atmospheric targets, was breached by Houthi missiles, falling from its pedestal. The U.S. deployed "THAAD" system in the Red Sea (THAAD) similarly failed to stop the Houthi missiles, and the U.S. aircraft carrier's Aegis system was also powerless. Israel's "Iron Dome" system, designed to intercept short-range rockets, faced "drone + missile hybrid attacks" from the Houthis, with daily interception costs soaring to $50 million, and system overload causing the miss rate to rise to 40%. The actions of the Houthi forces have left the U.S. in a "dilemma" in the Middle East: limited military options, a large-scale ground war would repeat the Afghanistan debacle, while precise strikes yield minimal results. Israel is also at a loss on how to respond. Original Source: [Link] Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's views. Please express your attitude by clicking the "Like/Dislike" buttons below.