The Iran-backed Houthi terrorist regime in northern Yemen is undertaking an expensive rebuilding effort following seven weeks of US airstrikes during Operation Rough Rider and recent strikes by Israel. The reconstruction effort will be exorbitantly expensive for the governing regime of the impoverished region, so the Houthis are exploiting Yemeni citizens to raise the necessary funds.
US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the US and the Houthis on May 6, which enables the Houthis to rebuild without daily bombardment. They have undertaken that mission in earnest.
The Yemen Petroleum Company, the Houthi-controlled organization in charge of distributing petroleum products, announced on May 8 that Ras Isa port was running again less than a monthafter initial American airstrikes rendered it inoperable.
Khaled al Shaief, the director general of Sanna International Airport, announced that the airport will be operational on May 14, just over a week after Israeli airstrikes forced the facility’s closure. On May 15, Shaief posted a video on X of a UN plane that landed at Sanaa International Airport. It shows a plane taxiing on an undamaged runway but does not show any other parts of the airport complex. Another post shows extensive damage to the terminal but repaired runways. Shaief’s preliminary estimate of damage to the airport was around $500 million. Residents of Sanaa have reported to Mohammed al Basha, a Yemen analyst, that the airport still visibly requires extensive repairs.
In addition to key military-civilian infrastructure, the Houthis are rebuilding buried infrastructure and tunnels, according to several Yemeni media outlets.
The Arab newspaper Asharq al Awsat reports that the Houthis are extorting businessmen and emptying Zakat (obligatory Islamic charity) funds to accomplish these rapid reconstruction projects. The Houthis have threatened business owners around Sanaa with forced closure and arrest if they do not pay extra taxes to fund reconstruction.
To further pressure businessmen, the Houthis have also resorted to kidnapping, according to Yemen Shabab. In one instance, the terrorist group kidnapped a store’s employee to force the owner to pay. In another example, the Houthis kidnapped the son of another business owner to compel him to pay.
During Operation Rough Rider, US Central Command (CENTCOM) struck over 1,000 targets, including military and other infrastructure used by the Houthis, according to the US Department of Defense. These targets included weapons storage and production sites, military barracks and bases, the Ras Isa oil terminal used to generate profits for the Houthis, and factories.
Israel launched airstrikes against the Houthis following a May 4 missile attack from the group that landed near Ben Gurion International Airport after Israeli systems failed to intercept it. Israeli airstrikes hit Sanaa International Airport, Hodeidah port, two cement factories, and power stations. Israeli strikes targeted dual-use infrastructure, while American operations focused on military infrastructure.
