The thunder of American missiles striking Houthi targets in Yemen has sent shock waves through Washington’s corridors of power. Self-proclaimed foreign policy experts now predict catastrophe—an inevitable march toward all-out war with Iran and American body bags returning home. These critics fundamentally misunderstand both the Middle East and the strategic genius behind Trump’s calculated aggression. What they denounce as dangerous escalation is precisely what will prevent the wider conflict they claim to fear. The path to peace in the Middle East has never been through restraint—it runs through decisive strength that commands respect.
Let me explain what I believe Trump’s strategy is, and why these strikes, while appearing hawkish and interventionist, actually represent the correct America First policy that will lead to more stability. Less American blood will be spilled down the road.
We’ve seen this playbook before. During Trump’s first term, his administration obliterated ISIS in a matter of weeks after Obama had warned it would be a “decades-long struggle.” Later, following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, Trump delivered a January 2020 speech with an opening line that still resonates: “As long as I am president of the United States, Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon.”
That speech meticulously outlined Iran’s threats to American interests and global security. But what struck me most was how Trump concluded—by reminding Iran that he had completely wiped out ISIS. This seemingly disconnected point was actually the entire message: I mean what I say, and I finish what I start.
That’s precisely what’s happening now with the Houthis.
Trump and his team have consistently preferred a negotiated resolution to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons—weapons that would threaten not just Israel but the entire world. Once a regime like Iran possesses nuclear capability, they can create tactical nuclear weapons that could be transported anywhere and potentially accessed by their terror proxies. This represents an existential threat to global security.
The previous administration and its predecessors allowed malign actors to operate with impunity. They never truly feared American power because there was no credible threat of decisive consequences. Trump changed that calculus with his doctrine of peace through strength.
But this isn’t just tough talk—it requires action. By aggressively dismantling ISIS in his first term, Trump established that American involvement meant decisive victory, not endless occupation. He then leveraged that credibility to deter Iran, pairing it with crippling sanctions that effectively limited their funding of Hamas, Hezbollah, and yes, the Houthis.
The Biden administration’s half-hearted strikes against Houthi targets were performative theater—enough to say they did something, but not enough to actually change behavior. Trump’s approach is fundamentally different. The day after launching this campaign against the Houthis, he issued a statement directly blaming Iran for their proxy’s actions and promising to hold Tehran accountable.
This is the same strategy, with the Houthis now playing the role ISIS once did. Wipe out the smaller, more vulnerable target with overwhelming force, avoiding U.S. boots on the ground, and simultaneously weaken Iran while sending them an unmistakable message: if conflict comes, it won’t be a forever war with no endgame—it will be decisive.
The Middle East respects only one language: strength backed by the willingness to use it. As we say in the region, “Donald Trump speaks Arabic.”
Critics who view these strikes as warmongering fail to understand that in the perverse logic of the Middle East, showing weakness invites aggression, while displaying overwhelming strength prevents it. Iran and its proxies miscalculated during the previous administration, believing America had lost its appetite for decisive action. They’re being reminded that calculus has changed.
Some will call this hawkish. Others will cry imperialism. But those who understand the region recognize that Trump’s approach—aggressive action against immediate threats paired with clear warnings to their sponsors—represents the most direct path to lasting stability.
A nuclear-armed Iran would destabilize not just the Middle East but the entire world. The Houthi strikes aren’t just about shipping lanes or regional influence; they’re about reestablishing a deterrent that collapsed during four years of strategic confusion. They’re about drawing a line that says America will defend its interests decisively.
In the Middle East, peace isn’t achieved through platitudes and restraint. It’s achieved when hostile regimes understand that the cost of aggression exceeds any possible benefit. Trump grasps this reality. His critics don’t. And that’s why his seemingly interventionist policy will ultimately require less American intervention, not more.
Rabbi Pesach Wolicki is the Executive Director of Israel365 Action.
