Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are likely to retaliate for U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on dozens of targets used by the rebels to launch attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. military vessels, a top Pentagon military officer said Friday.
Neither the U.S. nor the Houthis yet know the extent of the damage from Thursday evening’s bombardment, Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, who heads the operations directorate of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on a call with reporters.
But, Sims said, it’s “within the DNA” of the Houthi clan to continue attacks that don’t bring them any immediate benefit despite realizing that the U.S. will not relent in efforts to secure free international waters.
“My guess is that the Houthis are trying to figure things out on the ground and trying to determine what capabilities still exist for them,” Sims said. “As you know,…
