In the first 100 days of his second term of office, US President Donald Trump showed a desire to bend over the air force when his administration decides that military force is mandatory abroad.
So far, the second Trump administration has begun Limited raids in Somalia and conducted a weekly aviation campaign against Houthi entangled in Iran who rule the majority of Yemen. The president also threatened direct strikes against Iran himself should Conversations about the latest nuclear agreement collapse.
This turn for Airpower for Trump is smart to me. The air force is low-cost in comparison with ground wars and typically involves Less victims For individuals who strike. This helps to clarify why American leaders, including Trump as self -styled “Anti -war president“He often considers it attractive.
But if the Trump administration is just not cautious, it might fall into what military strategists call informally “Drive trap. “This happens when the targets of military force are too high, in order that the air force itself can achieve, potentially resulting in the escalation of the conflict to the saving face, which could-if history is a guide-guide-carry out ground forces from the USA or their local allies.
US presidents, similar to Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, fell into this trap. In Vietnam, Balkwanie and Syria ended in much larger wars than they expected, with consequences for civil victims, international peace and damage to America’s fame abroad.
As Expert in the field of US National Security Policy and The Middle East regionI imagine that Trump’s administration is threatened with falling into the trap of the air force in Yemen and may potentially do the same in Iran if you happen to resolve to make use of direct strength against Tehran. Recognition of this military and historical risk and the selection of a type of ramp from continuous raids might be the best hope that the US government must avoid further escalation in a full -scale war.
Aviation bombardment limits
Tests shows that Airpower is the only when used for limited purposes – similar to taking the leaders of the terrorist groups Support for ground operations more ambitious goalslike strengthening or overthrowing governments.
Given the sophistication of the American air force, a Joint error In particular, the American strategists are considering of great strategic profits can only be achieved by dropping bombs from above.
But when the air force fails, leaders can feel the pressure to increase the scope of the conflict and end with larger military obligations than expected.
Johnson’s initial strategy just for the air force to check Stop communism in southern Vietnam It was impossible to regret what led to his decision to involve half 1,000,000 American soldiers in the war. This is an prolonged conflict supplying the years of war, with massive humanitarian and political consequences for people in Southeast Asia and America, in addition to everlasting reputational damage to the USA
Mohammed Hamud/Getty Images
He is nervous about the credibility of us and NATO, Clinton escalated raids – almost to Land forces introduction point – for the ambitious end of the arrest of the Balkans in the early Nineteen Nineties. Similarly, Obama’s initial strategy only in the field of air force, to “degrad and destroy ”by the Islamic State group He hesitated quickly, leading Obama under intensive pressure in the country and abroad to introduce hundreds of ground soldiers to combat the territorial advantages of the group in Syria and Iraq.
In each case, relying in the air force itself didn’t achieve their goals.
Air trap in Yemen
There are reasons to think that the conditions in Yemen mean that Trump may fall into an analogous trap.
Trump adopted the strategy of only the air force to “Completely annihilate“Houthis, a Powerful Rebel movement It’s all except won the last civil war of the Yemenian. The direct explanation for the aviation campaign, the policy inaugurated by Biden administration and dramatically prolonged by Trump, is Restore free shipping flow In the Red Sea, Houthi disrupted with strength to protest about the ongoing Israel war in Gaza.
Early signs are that this air campaign is just not going well.
Despite United States burning by finished supplies of ammunition at the cost of USD 1 billion for bombing a minimum of 800 sites From March 15 Houthi are undetermined and the shipping volume in the Red Sea as depressed as all the time. Houthi Attacks on American ships and Israel To proceed. AND The Houthi missile was barely missing Ben-Gurion airport in Israel on May 4.
In fact direct attacks on Houthi and a rapidly growing variety of victims Among the Yemeni civilians From the Trump’s bombing campaign, it appears to be Houthis reinforcement ‘ political position in Yemen. In a very shocking case, American bombs supposedly hit the African migrant campKilling and hurt dozens of individuals.
Humanitarian crisis from a brutal bomb campaign through the coalition under the leadership of Saudi against Houthi at the end of 2010 he had An identical effect.
Airpower also played a giant role. Saudi coalition, maintained by the USA, involved in some 25,000 raids against Houthi, killing or mutilated roughly 19,000 civilians. However, despite such an amazing strength, Houthis still passed the territory and eventually won the civil war, According to experts.
Since then, they’ve been de facto rulers of the country.
Now Trump is investigating further escalation options to defeat Houthi. Reports indicate His administration is considering Armament, training and enabling Houti fighters who’re loosely related to the Yemen government in exile to begin ground operations.
Between diplomacy and quagmire
Proxies are a standard tool to which leaders turn to, to which they turn once they were caught in a drive trap. Sometimes these proxies meet American policy goals similar to Kurdish people’s protection units or YPGwhich the USA helped Defeat the Islamic State Caliphate in 2019.

Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images
Often, American deputies are incurred each strategic and humanitarian, which results in further escalation, strategic swamps for the USA and the lack of political life and sovereignty for attacked people. South Vietnam was an instructive example.
Canceled by corruption, bad management, weakness and political struggle, Army and government of southern Vietnam It turned out to be so ineffective in the fight against the North Vietnamese that Johnson decided to begin a ground war when the American air force failure.
Today, the resistance against Houthi in Yemen looks more like a South Vietnam government than Kurdish YPG. According to 2025 Report with Sufan CenterA Security Think Tank, Houthi forces are badly trained and regarded unable to win over Houthis without much support in the USA.
Meanwhile Houti resistance against Houti It consists of about 85,000 fighters, in comparison with about 350,000 for Houthi.
In the event of constant the air war or escalating it right into a more versatile conflict, American officials may proceed to strive for diplomacy to try to search out a political solution to Yemen conflict.
Despite the public threats of the Trump administration, the USA is already negotiating with the predominant sponsor of Houthi, Iran.
For their part, the Houthi still insist that they stop attacking ships in the Red Sea Israel’s war in Gaza retention, something that happened During the last suspension of weapons to gauze.
The Trump administration may consider in search of alternatives similar to direct or indirect conversations if he desires to avoid getting stuck in a widened conflict in Yemen. History is filled with examples of what is going on when Airpower takes by itself logic.