Ridding the Sea Lanes of Houthi Piracy Is a Fundamental Obligation of the American Government

It is not yet clear to what extent the Israeli assault on Gaza and the ongoing American assault on Houthi positions in Yemen, which began over the weekend, were coordinated in advance. But they certainly have a complementary effect, exerting simultaneous pressure on Iran. Here in the U.S., the attack on the Houthis has met with criticism from the hard left, which is eager to idealize murderous jihadists, and from elements of the right, which protest that this is a needless “foreign adventure,” expending American treasure while risking a wider conflict.