President Donald Trump's Recognition of Yemen's Legitimate Government Would Ensure the Defeat of the Houthi Terrorist Group – Middle East Analyst Walid Phares

President Donald Trump's Recognition of Yemen's Legitimate Government Would Ensure the Defeat of the Houthi Terrorist Group – Middle East Analyst Walid Phares

[Washington, July 17, 2025] — On Sunday, the U.S. State Department strongly condemned the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen for deadly attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and for strikes on Israel. At the same time, calls emerged urging former President Donald Trump to take action by officially supporting Yemen’s legitimate government in order to bring an end to the Houthi regime.

Renowned American Middle East analyst Walid Phares told Fox News Digital, “The ongoing negotiations with Hamas and the Tehran regime, in my view, are merely a stalling tactic; Iran is using this time to rearm and resume its regional expansion.”

He added, “If the talks fail, there must be an effort to reassemble a joint ground force consisting of units loyal to the legitimate Yemeni government (currently in exile in Aden), along with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is based in southern Yemen near Houthi-controlled territories. The STC forces have scored the most significant victories against the Iran-backed militias in recent years.”

Phares, who served as an advisor to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, said, “The U.S. should fund, train, and equip these southern forces for new ground operations along the Red Sea coast, especially to retake the strategically vital port city of Hodeidah.”

He also noted, “Meanwhile, government-aligned northern units could advance toward the capital, Sanaa. With the support of allied airpower, a coordinated push from the south and north could break the Houthis’ grip on Yemen and eliminate the threat altogether.”

According to Phares, “Such an operation would pave the way for future negotiations—not with Iran’s proxies—but with a sovereign, federal, pro-Western Yemeni government free from Iranian influence.”

Back in May, Trump had launched an air campaign against the Houthis but later said, “They just don’t want to fight… and we will respect that. We will stop the bombings.”

However, the Houthis appear to have broken their promise to Trump and have continued attacks in the Red Sea.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell told Fox News Digital, “The Department of Defense is clear—any state or non-state actor that seeks to expand or escalate the conflict will be met with a response. Secretary Hegseth has repeatedly stated that if Iran or its proxies threaten U.S. personnel, the United States will take decisive action. We will not discuss future operations at this time.”

On July 7, Fox News Digital reported that Israel exchanged missile fire with the Houthi rebels and launched strikes on ports in Hodeidah, Ras Isa, and Salif in Yemen.

The Israeli action came in response to a suspected Houthi attack on a Liberian-flagged commercial vessel in the Red Sea, which was hit by explosives and small arms fire, causing the ship to take on water and be abandoned by its crew. The Houthis have not claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

The Israeli military said in a statement, “These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer Iranian weapons used to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel and its allies.”

Last week, Houthi attacks caused the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas, killing four and leaving 11 others missing, according to the Associated Press.

Satellite images have since shown long oil slicks from where both Magic Seas and Eternity C sank.

According to the Times of Israel, both ships were targeted as part of the Houthis’ campaign against maritime traffic in response to the war in Gaza.

The Houthi campaign has severely disrupted shipping through the Red Sea, a key route through which over $1 trillion in goods pass annually.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told Fox News Digital, “The United States strongly condemns these attacks. They have led to loss of life, injuries to sailors, and the sinking of cargo ships. Houthi attacks continue to put seafarers’ lives at risk, damage regional economies, and pose serious environmental threats.”

The spokesperson added, “Freedom of global navigation and Israel have been under Houthi attack for far too long. The United States supports Israel’s right to self-defense.”