UK join US in airstrike on Houthi facility in Yemen amid Red Sea shipping threats

The operation, carried out on Tuesday, targeted a facility involved in the production of drones used to attack international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The UK Ministry of Defence in a press release stated, "On 29 April 2025, UK forces participated in a joint operation with US forces against a Houthi military target in Yemen. This action was in line with a long-standing policy of the UK government, following the Houthis initiating their campaign of attacks in November 2023, threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, striking international ships, and killing innocent merchant mariners."

The RAF Typhoon jets, along with Voyager tankers, utilised Paveway IV precision-guided bombs to minimise the risk of civilian casualties and damage to non-military infrastructure.

The statement added, "Careful intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some fifteen miles south of Sanaa. Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, therefore engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision guided bombs, once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure. As a further precaution, the strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further. All of our aircraft subsequently returned safely."

In a post on X, UK Ministry of Defence wrote, "Overnight, @RoyalAirForce Typhoons conducted strikes against a Houthi military target in Yemen to defend freedom of navigation, strengthen regional stability, protect UK economic security, and reduce the Houthis' capacity to launch further attacks."

Earlier, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) had revealed that it has launched over 800 targeted strikes against the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen since March 15, aiming to restore "freedom of navigation and reinforce American deterrence."

In a statement released on Sunday, CENTCOM, responsible for military operations in the Middle East, said that the campaign has significantly reduced Houthi attacks on international shipping, with ballistic missile launches dropping by 69 per cent and drone strikes decreasing by 55 per cent.

CENTCOM further informed that to protect operational security, it will not share details about its ongoing or future military actions.

"To preserve operational security, we have intentionally limited disclosing details of our ongoing or future operations. We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we've done or what we will do," the statement said.

Houthi attacks on ships escalated after the outbreak of the war between Israel and Gaza, despite then-President Joe Biden's warning to Iran and its allies to avoid involvement in the conflict.

The Houthis, who took control of Yemen's capital in 2014, initially claimed they would target only ships connected to Israel. However, they have since attacked vessels associated with numerous other nations. (ANI)