British Forces Conduct Airstrikes in Yemen, Partnering with US in Anti-Houthi Campaign

British fighter jets, along with their US counterparts, conducted airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels overnight – marking the first military action approved by the Labour government. This also marks the UK’s involvement in an aggressive bombing campaign against the group. RAF Typhoons, aided by Voyager air tankers, struck at a cluster of buildings 15 miles south of Sana’a, which the UK claimed were utilized by the Houthis in the manufacture of drones targeting shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The UK’s defence secretary, John Healey, justified the attack as a response to a “persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation,” with the rebel group responsible for attacks on merchant shipping and Western warships, resulting in a significant decline in trade flows. Healy pointed out that a 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, contributing to regional instability and threatening UK families’ economic security. This latest engagement is distinct from the five rounds of airstrikes Britain participated in with the US between January and May 2024 as part of Operation Poseidon Archer. Moreover, reports suggesting civilian casualties pressure both governments, with the Houthis claiming 68 deaths following an airstrike on a detention center for African migrants in Saada, and an additional 80 civilian deaths reported from an attack on the port of Ras Isa. Organizations such as the Center for Civilians in Conflict question the measures taken to safeguard civilians, challenging the insufficient action against civilian harm under both the previous and current US administrations.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/30/uk-yemen-airstrikes-houthi-rebels