Skip to content
Search
Human content, AI powered search.

Latest Stories

What We're Watching

​US strikes Houthi strongholds, seeks to keep shipping lanes open

President Donald Trump looks on as military strikes are launched against Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis over the group's attacks against Red Sea shipping.

President Donald Trump looks on as military strikes are launched against Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis over the group's attacks against Red Sea shipping, at an unspecified location in this handout image released March 15, 2025.

White House/Handout via REUTERS
Zac Weisz
By Zac WeiszMarch 16, 2025
Zac Weisz
Zac reports on global affairs, covering everything from battles between judicial branches and political leaders, to conflicts in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. With the Trump administration keen to alter the world order, though, there’s a heavy emphasis right now on US politics – an area with which he is intimately familiar. Prior to joining GZERO, Zac was a senior national politics correspondent at National Journal, where he covered the 2024 presidential election from its inception to the dramatic finish, as well as major congressional actions during the Biden administration. Prior to journalism, Zac worked as an economic analyst for Oxford Economics, calculating the impact of various tax policies, and of Britain’s exit from the European Union. Born in London, he currently resides in New York City, where you can find him playing football (the original version) or watching it on television while attempting to cook up a storm.
See Full Bio

The United States launched widespread strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday, killing 53 people and injuring 98 as it targeted military sites and a power station in the rebel group’s southwest stronghold. The attacks were the largest US military operation since President Donald Trump returned to office.

“To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes,” Trump posted on social. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the US to halt the airstrikes, while Gen. Hossein Salami denied that Iran was involved in Houthi offensives.

The United States has been part of a Saudi-led coalition that has fought the Houthis since 2014, but tensions have been especially frayed ever since the Yemenite rebel group started ambushing Israeli ships that passed through the Red Sea shortly after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, disrupting a hefty portion of global trade. There has been calm in the region ever since Israel and Hamas brokered a ceasefire deal in January, but the Houthis on Tuesday said they would restart their guerilla campaign on the water.

Don’t expect a truce soon: Once the leader of the coalition against the Houthis, Saudi Arabia now seems to be on the sidelines, leaving the US to lead the fight against the Iran-aligned group — and the Trump administration has pledged to continue strikes over the next few days. The Houthi resistance has been stubborn for some time, and the militants have promised to retaliate, so the Americans might have their work cut out as they seek to maintain a vital shipping pipeline.

“A few days of strikes will probably not bring about an end to the Houthis’ attacks,” counterterrorism expert Thomas S. Warrick wrote. “Unless the Trump administration is prepared to go even further.”

trumpus airstrikessaudi arabiayemenhoughis

Latest Videos

Trump likely to attack Iran soon–and may even target Khameneiplay icon
The Debrief

Trump likely to attack Iran soon–and may even target Khamenei

Epstein and America’s two-tier justice system
ask ian

Epstein and America’s two-tier justice system

Why Singapore sees AI as an opportunity, not a threat
GZERO World Clips

Why Singapore sees AI as an opportunity, not a threat

Trump’s next move in Iran
Quick Take

Trump’s next move in Iran

How Singapore navigates a fragmented world
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

How Singapore navigates a fragmented world

Singapore thrived on globalization. Now what?
Ian Explains

Singapore thrived on globalization. Now what?

More For You

What We’re Watching: Nuclear deal STARTs to end, Syria pens deal with Chevron for oil exploration, Lights go off in parts of Cuba

Aerial view of the nuclear explosion, code-named Seminole, at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean on June 6, 1956.​

Aerial view of the nuclear explosion, code-named Seminole, at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean on June 6, 1956.

Science Photo Library via Reuters Connect
The end of the New START?New START, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the US and Russia, expires today. Signed in 2010, it limited each side to 1,550 warheads and required inspections and data sharing. Its absence removes the final binding constraint on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals. Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended [...]

What We’re Watching: The Groundhog Day of Ukraine peace talks, Colombia fares well at White House, South African ruling coalition faces stability test

​Workers repair a pipe at a compound of Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant which was heavily damaged by recent Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 4, 2026.

Workers repair a pipe at a compound of Darnytsia Thermal Power Plant which was heavily damaged by recent Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 4, 2026.

REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
The leader of South Africa’s second-largest party to stand downDemocratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen announced Wednesday that he will not run for a third term as leader of the liberal, pro-business party, after months of internal pressure over a host of controversies – including allegations, since cleared, that he used the party credit card [...]

What We’re Watching: Trump and Modi make up, Turkey’s Erdogan goes to Riyadh, A step toward peace in the DRC

​US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, on Feb. 13, 2025.

US President Donald Trump welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House in Washington, D.C., USA, for bilateral discussions about trade and security on Feb. 13, 2025.

India PM Office handout via EYEPRESS
Modi and Trump finally make upAfter months of simmering tensions, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump – two old friends – finally reached an agreement: Washington will drop tariffs on Indian exports from 50% to 18%, and in return, New Delhi will halt Russian oil purchases. Instead, it will buy from the US and possibly [...]

What We’re Watching: US critical minerals summit, Rafah crossing reopens, Border violence in Pakistan

​U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hold up signed documents regarding securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths, at a bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 28, 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hold up signed documents regarding securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths, at a bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan, October 28, 2025.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
Critical mineral deals to be cut in Washington this weekRepresentatives from the European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, and others will meet in Washington this week to discuss a strategic alliance on critical minerals. The aim: decrease reliance on China, which currently controls an average market share around 70%. The Trump administration also [...]