Between 12 January 2024 and 6 May 2025 the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, launched a series of cruise missile and airstrikes against the Houthi movement in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis had previously declared that their attacks were in support of Palestinians during the Gaza war; Houthi attacks on shipping were condemned by the United Nations Security Council the day before the initial strike.
The first phase of attacks between January 2024 and January 2025 were codenamed Operation Poseidon Archer. US President Joe Biden ordered the strikes, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak convened his cabinet to authorize British participation. American officials said the strikes were intended to degrade Houthi capabilities to attack Red Sea targets rather than to kill leaders and Iranian trainers. By 2 January 2025, the Houthis recorded 931 American and British airstrikes against its sites in Yemen, resulting in 106 deaths and 314 injuries. The strikes were halted during much of the January 2025 Gaza war ceasefire, which lasted from January to March.
Airstrikes resumed between 15 March and 6 May 2025, under the codename Operation Rough Rider. US President Donald Trump ordered the operation with over 1,000 airstrikes having been conducted by the end of April, with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorizing strikes as well. On 6 May, Trump declared the strikes to be over as a result of a ceasefire reached between the United States and the Houthis, brokered by Oman.
Background
On 16 February 2021, the Biden administration removed the Houthis, the formal political and military organization of the Houthi movement, from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) blacklist, due to concerns that the designation would impede the delivery of humanitarian aid amid Yemen's worsening political and socioeconomic crisis, as the Houthis controlled much of the most populated territory in Yemen. In April 2022, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which, despite formally lapsing the following October, continues to hold as of December 2023.
With the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, the Iran-backed, Houthi-controlled Supreme Political Council declared its support for Hamas and began launching attacks on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, especially in the Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. While the Houthis initially claimed to target only commercial ships bound for Israeli ports or with some link to Israel, they soon began indiscriminately targeting vessels, attempting attacks on ships with no discernible Israeli ties. Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi warned that "Israel is giving the world some time to organize in order to prevent this but if there isn't to be a global arrangement, because it is a global issue, we will act in order to remove this naval siege." To launch attacks on Red Sea shipping, the Houthis use coastal missile batteries, loitering munitions, and fast attack craft armed with light autocannons, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles.
By 21 December 2023, the Port of Eilat, which gives Israel via the Red Sea its only easy shipping access to Asia without the need to transit the Suez Canal, had seen an 85% drop in activity due to the Houthi action.
Before the Houthi attack on the freighter Maersk Hangzhou on 30 December 2023, the United States had shot down a total of 24 Houthi missiles and drones and deployed naval ships to protect Red Sea shipping lanes, but had not engaged directly with the Houthis.
A considerable number of freighters have continued to transit, with mostly large container ships diverting away rather than other shipping, with the strait continuing to be heavily used by bulk carriers and tankers which are under different contract arrangements and often from countries supportive of Gaza's situation so perceiving a minimal risk from ongoing Houthi attacks. In the first week of January 2024 the average number of freighters active each day in the Red Sea included 105 bulk carriers and 58 tankers, down from 115 bulk carriers and 70 tankers the week before. In contrast, six of the ten largest container shipping companies were largely avoiding the Red Sea, with relatively few container ships transiting the Bab al-Mandeb strait from 18 December 2023.
As of January 2024, most marine insurances require a warranty of no Israeli involvement to insure vessels for the Red Sea route, with some requiring warranties of no US or UK interest and no calls to Israeli ports in the last 12 months.
On 3 January 2024, the United States and a group of countries issued an ultimatum to the Houthis to stop their activities. In the days leading up to the strike, members of the US Congress and The Pentagon demanded a strong and deterrent response to the Houthis. One day before the strike, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning Houthi activities in the Red Sea, in which Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique abstained.
Timeline
January 2024
On 12 January, the first wave of strikes began around 2:30 a.m. Yemen time (UTC+3). American fighter jets, armed with precision-guided bombs, were dispatched from regional bases. Simultaneously, 22 fixed-wing aircraft, including F/A-18s, took off from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. In addition, the cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the destroyers USS Gravely, and USS Mason, along with the cruise-missile submarine USS Florida, launched a total of 80 Tomahawk cruise missiles. During this first wave of strikes, more than 100 missiles hit more than 60 targets in 16 locations. About 30 to 60 minutes later, a second wave of more than 50 missiles struck dozens more targets in 12 other locations.
The BBC reported four Royal Air Force Typhoon jets flew from the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus in the strike. Two Royal Air Force Voyager air-to-air refueling tankers supported the mission. The Ministry of Defence announced that it had targeted two sites. One, at Bani in northwestern Yemen, had been used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones. The other was Abs Airport, which, according to the MoD, had been used to launch cruise missiles and drones at targets in the Red Sea. Explosions were reported in Sanaa, Hodeidah, and Dhamar. The targets included logistics centres, air defense systems, and weapons storage sites. According to Al-Masirah, a Houthi-run news channel, the strikes hit Hodeida International Airport, Taiz International Airport, al-Dailami Air Base (which shares the runway with Sanaa International Airport), an airport near Hajjah, and a camp east of Saada. This set of airstrikes began Operation Poseidon Archer.
On 13 January, At 3:45 a.m. Yemen time (UTC+3) the US struck a radar site near Sanaa, which Al-Masirah reported was at Al-Dailami Air Base. US Central Command said the "follow-on action" was conducted by the destroyer USS Carney with Tomahawk missiles.
On 16 January, at 4:15 a.m local time, the US conducted new airstrikes in Yemen, targeting four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles that US officials said were being prepared to target ships in the region.
On 17 January, at about 11:59 p.m. local time, US ships and submarines fired missiles against 14 Houthi missiles that US officials said were an immediate threat to ships in the region.
On 18 January, at 3:40 p.m. local time, the US struck three Houthi anti-ship missiles that US officials said were being prepared to target commercial ships in the region.
On 19 January, at 6:45 p.m. local time, US Navy F/A-18 aircraft from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower targeted Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen that US officials said were being prepared for launch. Al-Masirah reported airstrikes in the al-Jabaana neighborhood of Hodeida.
On 20 January, at 4 a.m. local time, a US airstrikes hit a Houthi anti-ship missile that US officials said was prepared to target shipping in the Gulf of Aden.
On 22 January, at about 11:59 p.m. local time, the US and UK conducted joint air and missile strikes against on eight Houthi targets across Yemen, including radars and drone and missile sites. Al-Masirah reported airstrikes in Sanaa and al-Dailami Air Base.
On 27 January, at about 3:45 a.m. local time, US forces hit a Houthi anti-ship missile that US officials said was being prepared for use against ships in the Red Sea.
On 31 January, at about 3:30 p.m. local time, the US conducted a strike against a Houthi surface-to-air missile that US officials said posed an imminent threat to US aircraft.
February 2024
On 1 February, at about 1:30 a.m. local time, the US conducted strikes against a Houthi UAV ground control station and 10 Houthi one-way UAVs.
On 3 February, at about 7:20 p.m. local time, the US struck six anti-ship cruise missiles that US officials said were an "imminent threat" as they were being prepared to launch against vessels in the Red Sea.
Later that day, at about 11:30 p.m. local time, the US and UK struck 36 Houthi targets at 13 locations: underground storage facilities, command and control centers, missile systems, UAV storage and operational sites, radars, and helicopters. The sites were struck using F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and Tomahawk missiles fired by the USS Gravely and the USS Carney from the Red Sea. Explosions were reported in Sanaa following the strikes. Sky News Arabia reported that over 40 Houthi fighters were killed in the airstrikes conducted that day.
On 4 February, at about 4 a.m. local time, the US struck an anti-ship cruise missile which was determined as an imminent threat. Additional strikes occurred at 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. local time, targeting five land attack cruise missiles that US officials said were being prepared for launch against merchant and US Navy ships.
On 7 February, at 9 p.m. local time, the US conducted strikes against two Houthi mobile anti-ship cruise missiles. A second strike against a Houthi mobile land attack cruise missile occurred at 11:30 p.m. as it prepared to target ships in the Red Sea. Houthi media reported that locations in Al Hudaydah Governorate were targeted.
On 8 February, the US conducted seven strikes against Houthi unmanned surface vessels and anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.
On 9 February, the US conducted a total of seven strikes against Houthi unmanned surface vessels, mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, and a land attack cruise missile (LACM) that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis said that 17 of its fighters were killed in the strikes.
On 10 February, at about 4-5 p.m. local time, the US conducted five strikes against Houthi unmanned surface vessels and mobile anti-ship cruise missiles north of Al Hudaydah.
On 13 February, the US conducted a strike on a Houthi mobile anti-ship cruise missile that was being prepared to target ships in the region.
On 14 February, the US conducted four strikes against seven anti-ship cruise missiles, three unmanned aerial vehicles, and one explosive unmanned surface vessel in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen.
On 15 February, the US conducted two strikes against Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that were being prepared to target ships in the Red Sea.
On 16 February, the US conducted two strikes against Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles using unmanned surface vessels.
On 17 February, the United States military said it destroyed a Houthi unmanned underwater vehicle and a Houthi unmanned surface vehicle while also conducting three strikes against Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles.
On 20 February, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down by Houthi surface-to-air missiles near Hodeidah.
On 21 February, the US conducted four strikes targeting Houthi anti-ship ballistic and cruise missiles that were prepared to target shipping in the Red Sea.
On 22 February, the US conducted six strikes targeting Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to target shipping in the region.
On 23 February, the US conducted strikes against seven Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to target shipping in the region.
On 24 February, at around 11:45 p.m. local time, the US and UK carried out over a dozen airstrikes targeting 18 Houthi sites, marking their fourth round of joint airstrikes. According to US officials, the strikes aimed at underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars, and a helicopter.
A day after the attacks, the Houthis' official news agency reported that a civilian was killed and eight others were injured.
On 26 February, between 4:45 p.m. and 11:45 p.m. local time, US strikes destroyed three UAVs and two anti-ship cruise missiles.
On 29 February, the US conducted two strikes targeting six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea.
March 2024
The US conducted a strike targeting a Houthi surface-to-air missile that was deemed as a threat to the US aircraft in the region.
On 4 March, the US conducted strikes targeting two Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that presented a threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region.
On 6 March, the US conducted strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented a threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region.