Lieutenant General Alexus Greenkewich, commander of the US Air Forces in the Middle East, said that the Houthi rebels in Yemen may be exhausting their stock of drone squadrons and anti-ship ballistic missiles, with the pace of their attacks slowing slightly.

Greenkewicz added that the ongoing US retaliatory strikes against the Iranian-backed armed group “certainly affected their behavior...the pace of their operations is no longer what it was.”

Grynkewich said that it is difficult to know the extent to which the Houthis' supply of weapons has decreased due to the American strikes, because officials did not have a detailed intelligence assessment of their capabilities before the attacks began.

He added, “The challenge facing us is to understand what was the common denominator in the beginning, in other words, what did they have to begin with? It is clear that we know the size of the strikes that we directed and we have assessments of the extent of the success of those strikes.. The other factor that complicates (the situation) "It is Iranian resupply."

He said the United States believes the Houthis had dozens of anti-ship ballistic missiles when they started, and they have launched dozens of them. Therefore, understanding the extent of Iran's ability to resupply the group with weapons is essential.

Greenkewicz told reporters that the Houthis are more independent and more difficult for Iran to control than other armed groups supported by Tehran in Iraq and Syria.

These groups have largely stopped their attacks targeting US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria since early February, when the United States launched a large-scale retaliatory attack on groups and sites linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

American officials said they believed that Iranian pressure was one of the reasons for the stop.

However, Grynkewich said that the Houthis "are not fully complying" with Iran's directives.

He explained that even if Iran tried to suppress the Houthis or cut off weapons supplies or any other supplies, it would take some time to have an impact.

The Houthis launch almost daily attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and launch drones and missiles from their areas of control in Yemen.

The attacks, which are often unsuccessful but sometimes hit ships, have disrupted a vital shipping route.

In response, the United States and its allies were forced to increase the presence of their military ships along the waterway, and on several occasions launched broader retaliatory strikes on ammunition and weapons depots and other facilities.

US ships and fighter jets also regularly bomb Houthi drones and missiles stationed in preparation for launch.

The Houthis defended their campaign as an attempt to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

However, the ships they targeted had largely no connection to Israel, the United States, or other countries involved in the war.