Seth Frantzman explains why Houthis "tough nut to crack"

The United States has been relentlessly bombing Houthi targets for almost two months. Israel launched four major air strikes on their facilities and took them out of commission. A major land offensive went awry.

How is it the Houthis continue to endure despite the massive firepower used against them?

According to Jerusalem Post's Seth Frantzman, an expert and experienced reporter on Middle East Affairs, a lot of it comes down to simple geography. The mountainous regions of Yemen where the Houthis dominate are very hard to penetrate and control, much like the areas of Afghanistan. These areas helped to bog down an Egyptian invasion of the country in the 1960s.

The mountains also make it hard for airstrikes to have much impact, as many of the missiles and weapons in the Houthis' possession are buried deep inside the mountains and can be hidden and wheeled out at will.

Diplomacy and truces have also not worked - like the truces with Hamas before October 7, they only allowed the Houthis to consolidate power and increase their armaments and terrorist capabilities - but right now it is not clear what, if anything, can break the back of this group that continues to close the Red Sea to shipping and threatens Israel with missile attacks.