As Houthi forces sweep toward the Bab al-Mandab strait — one of the arteries through which the world's energy flows — the United States stood at the threshold of intervention and stepped back. Donald Trump canceled airstrikes against the Iran-aligned group in September 2026, reversing a commitment made to Saudi Arabia's crown prince even as munitions were being prepared for loading. The episode illuminates a recurring tension in American power: the cost of acting and the cost of not acting are both real, and the choice to avoid one does not dissolve the other.
Trump halts Yemen airstrikes as Houthis advance on strategic terrain
At least 125,000 people have been displaced since September, with Taiz city receiving up to 86,000 displaced Yemenis as fighting intensifies.