Summary of The Newest American War Is Flying Under The Radar
The video highlights a largely overlooked conflict between the United States and the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, framing it as an active war that is not receiving adequate public or media attention. The U.S. has conducted 38 consecutive days of military strikes against the Houthis, a scale of operation comparable to or exceeding recent campaigns against ISIS in Syria. These strikes, largely reactive under the Biden administration but more extensive under Trump, target missile and drone launch sites and weapon storage facilities, aiming to protect international shipping routes, especially through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—a critical chokepoint for global maritime traffic that the Houthis have disrupted since late 2023.
The Houthis justify their attacks as a response to Israeli military actions in Gaza, claiming a legal obligation to fight back and pressuring for the lifting of the Gaza siege. Their attacks have expanded from targeting Israeli vessels to those connected to American, British, and Israeli ports, significantly depressing shipping traffic in the region. The U.S. counters these actions with daily strikes and publicizes military footage but provides limited information on the effectiveness of these operations.
The Houthis have also escalated direct attacks against U.S. military assets, including claims of frequent missile and drone strikes on American aircraft carriers and successful shootdowns of U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones—six in April 2025 alone—using Iranian-supplied surface-to-air missile technology. Despite these claims, no confirmed hits on U.S. ships have been reported, and the U.S. Department of Defense remains largely silent on the specifics.
Interestingly, this conflict remains mostly bilateral: the U.S. versus the Houthis, with minimal involvement from other allies or direct Iranian intervention, although Iran is believed to supply weapons and technical support. The British and other coalition forces have played a limited role, with no recent joint strikes or interceptions reported. Israel has also been targeted by Houthi missile and drone attacks but has not recently retaliated.
The video also reviews a clip of Houthi special forces training, depicting their military preparedness and ongoing threats toward the U.S. and Israel, though the training appears rudimentary compared to conventional military forces. The presenter suggests that while the scale and intensity of the conflict fit the definition of war, the lack of formal declarations and broader public awareness complicates its perception.
Overall, the video argues that this ongoing conflict is a significant and escalating war involving the U.S. and the Houthis, with strategic implications for regional security and international maritime trade, yet it remains underreported and underrecognized.
Presenters/Contributors:
- Unnamed narrator/presenter (primary commentator and analyst)
Notable Quotes
— 05:40 — « The United States is saying here we're going to keep doing this until the Houthis stop. Well there's no indication that they're stopping at all. So it just feels like this is very different than the one-off strike in Syria to kill an Islamic State leader or al-Qaeda figure. »
— 07:54 — « Drones rather lose a drone than a manned aircraft 10 times out of 10 no questions asked. But we also can't just completely write this off. The Houthis have shot down 25 total US MQ9 Reaper drones since 2017. »
— 13:40 — « This is borderline like drill and ceremony at this point isn't it? It's an interesting mix of... This is almost like something you'd see at a basic training drill and ceremony type stuff. »
— 14:15 — « Style looked like the haka opening move to the haka. Have you seen that New Zealand Blacks rugby team? »
— 17:12 — « It looks to me like this is a hot war with the Houthis. I don't know what if there's a different term we want to use to call it something to make us feel better but it's something we have to keep an eye on. »
Category
News and Commentary