U.S. military forces launched precision airstrikes on Houthi weapons sites in Yemen, targeting the Iran-backed rebels' ability to disrupt international shipping in the Red Sea, as tensions escalate over their attacks on American and allied vessels.

U.S. military forces launched precision airstrikes on Houthi weapons storage facilities in northwestern Yemen overnight, targeting the Iran-backed rebels’ ability to disrupt international shipping in the Red Sea. The Pentagon confirmed that U.S. Air Force B-2 stealth bombers targeted five underground storage sites used by the Houthis to house weapons deployed in attacks on military vessels, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
The strikes were authorized by President Joe Biden in response to ongoing Houthi attacks that have endangered U.S. and international ships transiting critical waterways, including the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. "At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel," U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
Austin emphasized that the operation demonstrated the United States’ ability to strike deeply buried and fortified enemy assets. He warned that the Houthis' illegal attacks had not only disrupted international commerce but also risked an environmental catastrophe and endangered both civilian and military lives.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the strikes had caused no civilian casualties and that damage assessments were still underway. However, the Houthi-run Yemen News Agency reported 15 airstrikes across the capital, Sana’a, and the Saada governorate, claiming that British forces were also involved in the operation. The Houthis' report suggested that several targeted areas were home to military bases, some of which satellite imagery shows were being expanded underground.
In response, Houthi spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti condemned the strikes, accusing the U.S. and Britain of using Israel as a proxy to evade responsibility for civilian deaths in Gaza. Al-Bukhaiti vowed that the Houthis would continue their military operations in solidarity with the Palestinians, despite the airstrikes.
This latest wave of U.S. strikes follows earlier joint operations by the U.S. and Britain against Houthi targets on October 4. The escalation comes after the Houthis threatened to intensify attacks against Israel, launching ballistic missiles and drones at U.S. Navy ships in September. Additionally, the Houthis have targeted Israel directly, with airborne attacks on Tel Aviv and ongoing missile launches, further complicating the situation in the region.
The Houthis’ aggressive campaign, which began in November in response to Israel’s conflict with Hamas, has targeted more than 100 ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, forcing many shipping lines to divert around Africa’s Cape of Agulhas, bypassing the Suez Canal route entirely. This diversion has increased costs and extended travel times for vessels navigating between Asia and Europe.
As tensions rise, the U.S. and its allies are likely to remain on high alert, prepared to counter further Houthi attacks on international shipping and military forces in the region.