In a major escalation, the United States hit Houthi targets in Yemen this month with B-2 stealth bombers, perhaps the most sophisticated and expensive platform in the U.S. arsenal. The Air Force only has 19 such bombers and hasn’t used them in combat since 2017. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the raid demonstrated Washington’s ability to “take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”
It also demonstrated, once again, that the U.S. response to the Houthi threat is far costlier than any damage the Houthis could have hoped to achieve.
Houthi attacks on maritime shipping have cost the industry $2.1 billion since October 2023. But the U.S. has spent more than twice that sum—at least $4.86 billion—on its military campaign against the Houthis, according to the Costs of War Project at Brown University.
Throwing nearly $5 billon at a $2 billion problem makes no sense. In principle, the U.S. government could save $3 billion simply by reimbursing the shippers instead of fighting the Houthis. Not that it should, because the costs are tiny and the industry can easily absorb them.
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Author
Rosemary
Kelanic
Director, Middle East Program
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