NYT: Trump Halts Bombing Campaign Against Ansarullah Amid Soaring Costs to US Forces

By Staff, Agencies

President Donald Trump's recent decision to halt the US military campaign against Yemen’s Ansarullah movement was largely influenced by escalating operational costs and growing risks to American forces and military assets, The New York Times reported.

Citing US officials, the report revealed that the financial and strategic toll of the campaign played a critical role in prompting the ceasefire.

The campaign, dubbed Operation Rough Rider, began on March 15 and reportedly involved strikes on more than 1,000 targets in Yemen. In its first month alone, the operation cost the US approximately $1 billion.

Despite the scale of the offensive, US Central Command [CENTCOM] appeared to measure its success by the volume of bombs dropped, while intelligence officials cautioned that Ansarullah forces could still regroup despite the damage sustained.

Further complicating matters were near-catastrophic incidents involving US aircraft. According to the report, Ansarullah came close to downing several American F-16 and F-35 fighter jets. In two separate accidents, jets launched from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier crashed into the Red Sea, injuring a crew member.

The operation also significantly depleted the US stockpile of precision-guided munitions, raising alarm within the Pentagon. Officials expressed concern over the country’s readiness should a major conflict erupt elsewhere—specifically, a potential confrontation with China over Taiwan.

Tensions escalated further last week when a ballistic missile fired by Ansarullah landed near Ben-Gurion Airport, injuring several individuals. In response, "Israel", in coordination with the US, carried out joint strikes on Ansarullah positions in Yemen.

Following these developments, Trump announced that the US would suspend its airstrikes on Ansarullah, stating that the group had agreed to cease strikes on US naval vessels. However, Ansarullah clarified that the agreement does not extend to "Israel", underscoring that their operations against the occupying entity remain ongoing.