US expects retaliation from Houthis after strikes on key infrastructure in Yemen last week

Houthi fighters and tribal supporters hold up their firearms during a protest in Yemen on Sunday. Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

US President Joe Biden's administration expects the Iranian-backed Houthis, who have been harassing shipping in the Red Sea, will likely respond to the strikes made by the US and UK last week, National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby says.

While the US is still assessing the damage, officials believe the strikes had “good effect” against Houthi infrastructure in Yemen that has been used to attack shipping in the region, Kirby said.

The US government is now watching "very, very closely" for any potential retaliatory strike by the Houthis, Kirby said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday. He said the administration hopes the Houthis will rethink their aggressive activity in the region.

“Nobody wants to conflict with the Houthis. We're not looking for a conflict with Yemen here. We're trying to get these attacks to stop,” he said. 

Some context: The US and UK militaries' strikes against Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Thursday and Friday marked a significant response after the Biden administration and its allies warned the Iran-backed militant group it would bear the consequences of its attacks in the Red Sea.

The situation in Yemen is a key focal point in fears that the Israel-Hamas war will expand further through the Middle East, involving Iranian proxy groups like the Houthis and Hezbollah in Lebanon.