The Houthi rebels have fired surface-to-air missiles at a U.S. F-16 fighter jet and an American MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Red Sea and Yemen.
This significant escalation in the ongoing military interactions between the Iranian-backed group and the U.S. Navy and Air Force has sparked a policy debate about the best way to counter the Houthis, with options including a traditional counterterrorism approach or a more defensive approach targeting Houthi infrastructure and weapons-storage facilities.