The British military carried out airstrikes in Yemen alongside the United States, targeting Houthi rebel infrastructure, the UK government said on Wednesday.
It marked the UK’s first direct involvement in the latest phase of the America’s new intense campaign.
The coordinated strike is part of Operation Rough Rider, an ongoing effort to suppress attacks by the Iranian-backed group on commercial shipping routes through the Red Sea.
This action was taken in response to a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation,” UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
“A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK.”
The UK’s Ministry of Defence said it struck a site roughly 25 kilometres south of the capital Sana’a. The location was described as a drone manufacturing hub used by the Houthis to produce weapons deployed in attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis reported multiple strikes in and around Sana’a and the northern stronghold of Saada. The group has controlled the capital since 2014.
The United States has carried out over 800 strikes on Houthi targets since launching its current campaign on 15 March.
The UK Ministry of Defence said Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 jets carried out the strike using Paveway IV precision-guided bombs. The attack was launched at night to minimise the risk to civilians.
No information was provided on the extent of damage or casualties resulting from the British strike. The US military’s Central Command did not issue any statement acknowledging the raid.
While British forces have participated in joint operations with the United States since the Biden administration began striking Houthi targets in January 2024, this marks the first British involvement under President Trump’s leadership.
The latest operation comes just days after an alleged US airstrike on a migrant detention centre in Yemen killed at least 68 people and injured 47 others. The US military said it was reviewing the incident.
On 18 April, a separate American strike on the Ras Isa fuel port resulted in at least 74 deaths and more than 170 injuries, in what is considered the deadliest single attack of the campaign to date.
US strikes are being conducted from two aircraft carriers in the region—the USS ”Harry S Truman” in the Red Sea and the USS “Carl Vinson” in the Arabian Sea.
Washington has said the campaign is aimed at degrading the Houthi group’s ability to attack commercial shipping and Israeli targets.
The Houthis remain the only faction in Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” with the operational reach to launch regular strikes on Israel.
The campaign has drawn domestic scrutiny in the United States, following reports that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth used the unclassified Signal messaging app to share sensitive operational details about the strikes.
