Part 2/9:
The air strikes, described by officials as an opening salvo against the Houthis, came after heightened fears surrounding maritime security were irrevocably linked to Iranian influence in the region. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz articulated the unacceptable reality that had developed during the previous administration's approach—where U.S. warships hadn’t transited the area in over four months and U.S.-flagged commercial vessels hadn’t operated there in over a year.
The situation, according to Waltz, could not stand—especially with the Houthis increasingly targeting shipping traffic with sophisticated Iranian-supported weaponry, including cruise missiles and drones.