A second round of UK-US Huthi strikes indicates an escalation "to a longer-term military operation in Yemen", but is unlikely to stop the Iran-backed rebels, says Chatham House analyst Farea Al-Muslimi. "It is a situation of 'damn you if you do, damn you if you don't'. If you let the Huthis get away with these strikes, then that sends a bad message and it also inspires a lot of militias in the Horn of Africa but also across the world. At the same time, if you go into fighting with the Huthis you risk a huge regional escalation," the Middle East fellow says. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES