British forces conducted joint airstrikes with the United States against Houthi targets in Yemen, UK officials said on Wednesday, marking Britain’s first participation in America’s intensified campaign against the Iran-backed group since it began on March 15.
The UK Defence Ministry provided specific details about the operation, contrasting with the limited information the US has shared about its more than 800 strikes in the campaign.
“This action was taken in response to a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation,” said John Healey, UK Defence Secretary. “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.”
Houthi officials reported multiple strikes around Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, which the group has controlled since 2014. Additional strikes hit areas near Saada.
The British Defence Ministry described the target as “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 15 miles (25km) south of Sanaa.”
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s participated in the operation, dropping Paveway IV guided bombs. “The strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further,” the ministry added.
UK officials did not provide information about damage assessment or casualties. The US military’s Central Command has not acknowledged the strike.
While Britain has participated in US-led airstrikes against Houthi targets since January 2024, this marks the first British involvement in the campaign under the Trump administration.
The joint operation follows a reported US airstrike on Monday that hit a prison holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people and wounding 47 others. US military officials said they are investigating the incident.
On April 18, an American strike on the Ras Isa fuel port resulted in at least 74 deaths and 171 injuries, making it the deadliest known attack in the US campaign.
The US is conducting operations 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.
American officials have stated the campaign, called Operation Rough Rider, targets the Houthis because of their attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes and against Israel. The operations continue as the Trump administration negotiates with Iran, the Houthis’ primary supporter, regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.
(With information from the Guardian)
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