US officials say Houthi bombing campaign hindered by intel gaps

The US military’s attempt to halt Yemen-based attacks on Red Sea shipping is being hindered by insufficient intelligence about Houthi militants’ arsenal and full capabilities, according to American officials.

While the Pentagon is confident that weeks of missile strikes have destroyed much weaponry and forced Houthis into tactical adjustments, the extent of the damage is unclear because the US lacked a detailed assessment of the group’s capabilities before launching its bombing campaign, said current and former US officials.

Some of those concerns have been voiced in public in recent days. Dan Shapiro, the Pentagon’s top official on the Middle East, told a congressional hearing last week that while the US military had “a good sense” of what it had destroyed, it did not “fully know the denominator” — meaning the original make-up of the Houthis’ arsenal before the start of the US military campaign in January.

Shapiro’s public remarks reflect a growing concern expressed by senior US officials in private that the incomplete intelligence picture is clouding the Pentagon’s assessment of what capabilities the Iran-backed rebel group has retained.

Houthi attacks on vessels sailing through the Red Sea, a crucial shipping lane for global trade, began last year after Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza. The Iran-backed group has said its campaign will continue as long as Israel continues fighting in Gaza.

The US and the UK, backed by other allies, launched air strikes on Houthi positions on January 12 and have pounded the group periodically in the seven weeks since. The campaign has destroyed or degraded 150 targets, the Pentagon said, including anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles launchers, communications facilities, drones, unmanned surface vessels, air surveillance, weapon depots and command facilities.

But the Houthis, who endured almost a decade of bombardment by a Saudi-led coalition before the current conflict, have proven adept at…