On Jan. 11, 2024, Britain and the US initiated airstrikes in Yemen with the stated goal to degrade the capabilities of the Ansarullah movement—better known as the Houthis. The decision was prompted by the Iran-backed movement’s claim of targeting ships headed to and from Israel since Nov. 2023, in an effort to allegedly force a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the western strikes have not been effective. Paradoxically, they have instead emboldened the Houthis to escalate their attacks.

The group has been targeting commercial vessels, military frigates, and reportedly, undersea telecommunication cables. The limited yet surgical military strikes—grounded in the British and US hesitation to commit...