Pentagon runs through Yemen strike munitions with limited success: Report

• President Donald Trump praised U.S. airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthis, claiming significant success, but according to The New York Times, Pentagon officials privately told Congress that the mission had only limited success. Military officials revealed they’ve used $200 million in munitions in just three weeks.
• A Pentagon official countered, stating the mission is “on track.”

• The airstrikes are part of an investigation involving top officials who accidentally shared sensitive information about the bombings in a group chat.

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President Donald Trump praised the U.S. military for carrying out airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis, but Pentagon and military officials are telling Congress a different story about the success of the mission. 

On Monday, March 31, Trump posted to Truth Social.

“The Iran-backed Houthi terrorists have been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks,” Trump wrote. “Many of their fighters and leaders are no longer with us. We hit them every day and night — harder and harder.”

However, The New York Times reported military officials admitted to only having limited success in destroying the Houthi’s extensive arsenal of missiles and drones in recent closed-door briefings.

Officials also revealed the strikes are much more intense than those under the Biden administration and larger than the Defense Department publicly stated.

How much has been spent on the airstrike effort?

According to the Times, one U.S. official said they may need to request more funds from Congress soon after using $200 million worth of munitions in just three weeks, with the total cost likely reaching over $1 billion by next week.

However, a senior Pentagon official is countering the claims about a lack of success, telling the Times they are “on track.”

The Pentagon hasn’t given an official update on the attacks since March 17 when it reported more than 30 Houthi targets were hit.

On March 24, a spokesperson for the military’s Central Command said the strikes destroyed command and control facilities, air defense systems, weapons manufacturing facilities and advanced weapons storage.

Why is a group chat about the Yemen strikes being investigated?

The strikes are also at the center of an investigation involving Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other high ranking officials, who shared information in a Signal group chat about the initial bombings in Yemen March 15, before the pilots were airborne. 

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz created the group. Waltz said he takes full responsibility for the situation and claimed the Atlantic journalist’s number was mistakenly added under someone else’s contact name.

Top officials, including C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, said the information shared in those messages was not classified.