After airstrikes in Yemen, the US finds itself in a lose-lose situation

Hamas, Iran and their allies are looking to stoke distrust. [Bloomberg]( This is the Weekend Edition of Bloomberg Opinion Today,  a roundup of the most popular stories Bloomberg Opinion publishes each week based on web readership. New subscribers can [sign up here](. [Iran Wins With US Airstrikes on Houthis in Yemen]( — Marc Champion An RAF Typhoon aircraft joins the US-led coalition to conduct airstrikes against Yemen's Houthi rebels. Source: UK Ministry of Defense There are at least two views you can take on the US decision, joined by Britain, to strike Houthi targets in Yemen early Friday. Although they are entirely contradictory, both would be correct. The first is that this was inevitable. Both politically and to retain credible deterrence against further hostile actions by Iran and its proxies, doing nothing was simply not an option for President Joe Biden. The second view, and doubtless the reason he had first hesitated, is that there is little likelihood of success and a measurable risk of escalation. If the strategic goals of the US are to restore the free flow of trade through the Red Sea, to prevent the war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza from igniting a regional conflagration, and to thwart Iranian efforts to halt Israel’s normalization into a new, more stable and prosperous Middle East, then the fire and brimstone is likely to prove counterproductive. In fact, one can’t help but feel that the US, like Israel after Oct. 7, is dancing to a tune that was scripted for it by a rogue militia in a failed quasi-state that has little to lose. Read [the rest]( for free. [Elon Musk Isn’t Getting Enough Sleep]( — Matt Levine [Airlines and Flyers Are Stuck With 737 Max, Like It or Not]( — Brooke Sutherland [You Don’t Need More Resilience. You Need Friends. And Money.]( — Sarah Green Carmichael [This Italian Influencer Flew Too Close to the Digital Sun]( — Rachel Sanderson [Boeing Becomes the Poor Relation in Duopoly With Airbus]( — Chris Bryant [Suburban Millionaires, Beware — Private Equity Needs You]( — Aaron Brown [Don’t Be Fooled, Snow Is Becoming a Thing of the Past]( — Mark Gongloff [Slow-and-Steady Waymo Is Winning the Self-Driving Race]( — Dave Lee [Israel’s Genocide Trial Isn’t What It Seems]( — Noah Feldman [China’s Boeing Alternative Starts to Look Enticing]( — Tim Culpan More From Bloomberg Opinion Here’s what we’ve been listening to and watching this week. - US-British Airstrikes on Houthis: [What’s next]( in the conflict? - [US CPI Analysis](: “If we haven’t soft landed, we’re pretty darn close.” - Is it [insider trading]( if you bought Boeing puts while you were inside the wrecked plane? Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal. Find out more about how the Terminal delivers information and analysis that financial professionals can’t find anywhere else. [Learn more](. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Opinion Today newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022