Agence France-Presse May 9, 2025
After relentless U.S. bombing campaign, Yemen’s Houthis are biggest victors of truce

Analysts say truce agreement fails to curb ambitions of rebel group, which finds itself becoming increasingly indispensable in Iran’s eyes.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have emerged bruised but defiant from a blistering U.S. bombing campaign, cementing their role as one of the Middle East’s most powerful non-state actors after a truce with Washington.

U.S. President Donald Trump said the rebels had “capitulated” after the intense, seven-week campaign that came in response to Houthi threats to renew attacks on Red Sea shipping over Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

Rebel leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi slammed Trump’s remarks on Thursday, during Friday demonstrations
1. calling on supporters to celebrate “America’s great failure”
2. and labelling their campaign on the key shipping route a “total success.”

The rebels, who control swathes of Yemen, are the biggest winners of this truce, analysts told Agence France-Presse with an official confirming they will keep targeting Israeli ships in the key maritime waterway.