President Trump claimed this week that Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have been "decimated by the relentless strikes" he ordered on March 15. But Pentagon officials are privately offering a more restrained assessment. In recent closed briefings, they acknowledged limited success in destroying the Houthis' vast, mostly underground stockpiles of missiles, drones, and launchers, according to congressional aides and allies. In just three weeks, the strikes have cost $200 million in munitions, not including the high operational and personnel expenses of deploying two aircraft carriers, B-2 bombers, fighter jets, and advanced air defenses to the region.
