US bombing in Yemen boosts Huthi propaganda and recruitment efforts

Escalating US air strikes in Yemen fuel Huthi messaging and child soldier recruitment amid Red Sea conflict.

Yemeni mourners carry the coffins of victims killed in a recent U.S. airstrike during a burial procession in Sana'a, Yemen, on April 23, 2025. Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

By Anna Fadiah and Hayu Andini

As the United States intensifies its bombing campaign in Yemen, the Iran-backed Huthi movement has turned the violence into a powerful propaganda tool. The US bombing in Yemen has killed more than 200 people since mid-March, but rather than weakening the group’s ideological resolve, the campaign is helping the Huthis reframe their struggle as a fight against Western imperialism — especially in the context of the Israel-Hamas war.

Analysts warn that the air strikes and sweeping economic sanctions are not only hardening the rebels’ position but also fueling their recruitment drives, particularly among young Yemenis.

In a chilling example of this strategic spin, the Huthis released a high-production video just days after a US strike killed 80 people at the Ras Issa fuel terminal. The footage showed masked fighters performing martial arts routines, marching over Israeli flags, and firing rifles at targets bearing American, Israeli, and British symbols — the nations they accuse of aggression against Yemen.

This is all part of an evolving narrative: one that positions the Huthis as vanguards of resistance against the West, and as staunch defenders of Gaza amid Israel's ongoing war with Hamas.

Washington strikes back, but Huthis weaponize the message

President Donald Trump’s administration has taken an aggressive stance, reclassifying the Huthis as a terrorist group and stepping up military pressure with near-daily air strikes. The administration says it is responding to the Huthis’ continued harassment of commercial shipping in the Red Sea, a vital corridor for global trade.

Yet this military strategy, while inflicting real damage on the rebels’ infrastructure, is also giving the Huthis more material for their ideological war.

“The Huthis are absolutely trying to use the intensified campaign of US air strikes for propaganda purposes,” said Thomas Juneau, a Middle East expert at the University of Ottawa. “They are actively using information operations to position themselves as champions of the resistance against the United States and its regional partners.”

According to Juneau, these efforts are not only aimed at a domestic audience but are also designed to appeal to regional allies and sympathizers across the Middle East.

Surge in recruitment, including child soldiers

One of the most troubling outcomes of the US bombing in Yemen is the reported increase in child soldier recruitment. The Huthis have claimed that tens of thousands of Yemenis have signed up for military training since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023.

Human Rights Watch warned as early as February last year that the Gaza conflict had led to a “noticeable” uptick in underage fighters joining the Huthis. Despite international condemnation, the practice continues.

Yemeni television stations under Huthi control have been broadcasting interviews with survivors of the Ras Issa strike, many of whom are shown declaring support for Gaza and vowing to join the resistance, even while lying injured on stretchers.

Mohammed Albasha, a Yemen analyst based in the US, noted that the high civilian toll of the bombings could ultimately strengthen the Huthis’ narrative. “The US escalation comes at a steep human cost, which could intensify Huthi mobilisation and recruitment,” he said.

Heavy damage to Huthi infrastructure, but not their resolve

Still, the impact of the US campaign is not purely symbolic. According to military experts and regional analysts, the bombings have succeeded in degrading Huthi communication networks, control centers, and some of their military capabilities.

“The difference with the American bombing campaign is its relentless pursuit of Huthi leadership,” said Maged al-Madhaji, head of the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies. “Attacks on communication networks and control centres have caused unprecedented damage to the movement's infrastructure.”

But Madhaji cautioned that the damage may be reversible. Without a broader ground operation or political initiative to follow up, the Huthis may regroup and adapt. “This damage can be repaired if the campaign stops. The Huthis are capable of enduring pressure,” he said.

Financial strangulation adds to public suffering

While air strikes grab the headlines, the economic dimension of Washington’s strategy is having equally serious consequences. US sanctions have hit the Huthis’ financial networks and damaged critical infrastructure, including the Ras Issa fuel port — a crucial economic lifeline for the rebel-held regions.

By reintroducing the Huthis to the US list of terrorist organizations, the Biden administration has further isolated the group from international commerce. Companies doing business in Huthi-controlled territory now face the risk of secondary sanctions, making the import of essential materials even harder.

“The economic damage is much bigger than just the military strikes,” said Baraa Shiban, a Yemen specialist at the Royal United Services Institute in London. “You’re talking about an already fragile economy that’s being pushed to the brink.”

Shiban also raised doubts about how effective the Huthis’ messaging will be in the long term, especially among Yemenis who have lived through more than a decade of war and instability.

“People are frustrated, tired, and they're exhausted,” he said. “The economic situation is very, very dire. People just want the cycle of violence to end.”

Uncertain outcomes as the conflict drags on

With no signs of de-escalation and continued attacks on both sides, the US bombing in Yemen seems to have reached a turning point. The Huthis are leveraging the strikes for domestic propaganda and international sympathy, portraying themselves as defenders of a broader Islamic resistance.

At the same time, the human toll and economic devastation of the conflict are eroding whatever remaining resilience the civilian population might have.

For Washington, the dual strategy of air strikes and economic sanctions may succeed in weakening the Huthis’ operational capabilities. But as long as the group continues to mold public perception in its favor — especially using high-profile attacks and symbolic imagery — the long-term impact on Yemen’s political and security landscape remains uncertain.

And with the Red Sea still a flashpoint for regional tensions, the prospect of wider confrontation involving Iran and its allies looms in the background.

Ultimately, analysts agree that without a viable political path forward, military force alone is unlikely to yield lasting peace — and may, in fact, prolong the suffering and instability that have already plagued Yemen for far too long.