British and US troops launch strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for the second time: Fighter jets, warships and submarines pound missile launch facilities across the country in retaliation for Iran-backed militia’s Red Sea ship attacks

British and US forces have hit Houthi missile sites in Yemen with a second wave of joint airstrikes aimed at ‘dealing another blow’ to the Iran-backed group as it continues to terrorise ships in the Red Sea, officials have said.

Warship and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles, as well as fighter jets, have been used to take out Houthi missile storage sites and launchers, according to US defence officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

A joint statement from the UK, US, Australia, Bahrain and a number of other nations said they had ‘conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against eight Houthi targets in Yemen’.

The Ministry of Defence said four Typhoon fighter jets, supported by a pair of Voyager refuelling tankers, flew from Cyrus to join US forces in the airstrikes.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US president Joe Biden held a phone call in which they agreed to continue efforts to ‘deter and disrupt’ ongoing attacks by the Houthis on commercial and military vessels.

The two premiers also talked about efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza during their conversation.

The joint operation comes after US and UK warships and jets hit more than 60 targets in 28 locations on Thursday January 11.

That was the first US military response to what has been a persistent campaign of Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

In recent days, the US launched seven rounds of airstrikes on Houthi military sites, targeting air bases under the rebels’ control and suspected missile launch sites.

Both the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had repeatedly declined to comment on, or rule out, the possibility of further military action if Houthi attacks continued.

But Mr Sunak had told MPs last week he was ‘prepared to back our words with actions’.

The Government has insisted that the strikes would not escalate the already tense situation in the Middle East, stressing the need to protect the vital shipping route.

In a statement released on Monday night, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said the airstikes would ‘deal another blow’ to the Houthis. 

He said: ‘Dangerous Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea have continued to threaten the lives of sailors and disrupt shipping at an intolerable cost to the global economy. 

‘Along with our US partners we have conducted a further round of strikes in self-defence. 

‘Aimed at degrading Houthi capabilities this action will deal another blow to their limited stockpiles and ability to threaten global trade.

‘Alongside our ongoing diplomatic efforts we will continue to support regional stability across the Middle East, working hand in hand with our like-minded partners.’ 

The Houthis’ media office said in an online statement that several American and UK raids targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Monday night.

Houthi TV outlet al-Masirah said four strikes targeted the Al-Dailami military base north of the capital, which is under rebel control. 

Jamal Hassan, a resident from south Sanaa, said two strikes landed near his home, setting off car alarms in the street.

An Associated Press journalist in Sanaa also heard aircraft flying above Sanaa on Monday night.

Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): ‘Now, American-British air strikes on Sanaa, and the sound of planes and explosions is heard. 

‘No matter how much they bomb, our military operations against Israel will continue until the genocide crimes in Gaza are stopped and food, medicine and fuel are allowed to enter its besieged population.’

He later added: ‘The American-British aggression will only increase the Yemeni people’s determination to carry out their moral and humanitarian responsibilities towards the oppressed in Gaza. 

‘The war today is between Yemen, which is struggling to stop the crimes of genocide, and the American-British coalition to support and protect its perpetrators. 

‘Thus, every party or individual in this world is faced with two choices that have no thirds: either to preserve its humanity and stand with Yemen, or to lose it and stand with the American-British alliance. Who do you stand with as you watch these crimes?’

The latest barrage of allied attacks follows an almost-daily assault on Houthi missile launchers by US fighter jets and ship-based Tomahawks over the past week.

The rapid response missions, which officials said go after launchers armed and ready to fire, demonstrate the military’s increasing ability to watch, detect and strike militant activities in Yemen.

The chaotic wave of attacks and reprisals involving the United States, its allies and foes suggests the retaliatory strikes have not deterred the Houthis from their campaign against Red Sea shipping, and that the broader regional war that the US has spent months trying to avoid is becoming closer to reality.

The Houthi attacks, which the rebel group claims is in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territory, have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. 

They have also deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilise the Middle East.

But multiple U.S. strikes over the past month have failed to stop Houthi attacks against shipping.

Container vessels have been pausing or diverting from the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal, the fastest freight route from Asia to Europe. 

Many ships have been forced to take the longer route via the Cape of Good Hope instead.

For months, the Houthis have attacked ships in the region’s waterways that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports.

They say their attacks aim to end the Israeli air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip that was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 7 attack in southern Israel.

But any such links to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous as the attacks continue.

The United States and Britain have been striking against Houthi targets in a bid to deter the group from their attacks on merchant vessels and warships.

Mr Sunak and Mr Biden spoke this afternoon to reaffirm their commitment to this, the White House said.

In a readout of the call, it said: ‘President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke this afternoon with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom. 

‘The President and Prime Minister discussed ongoing Iranian-backed Houthi attacks against merchant and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea. 

‘They reiterated their commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks. 

‘The President and Prime Minister discussed the importance of increasing humanitarian aid and civilian protections for people in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. 

‘The President and Prime Minister also reiterated their support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s continuing aggression.’

The latest set of strikes could raise questions once again about the need to consult Parliament on military action. 

Mr Sunak was criticised for authorising the first set of strikes when Parliament was not sitting, with some MPs stressing the need for scrutiny from the Commons.

It is understood that Sir Keir Starmer did not receive a briefing ahead of the latest set of strikes against the Houthis by the US and UK.

The Labour leader and shadow defence secretary John Healey were briefed about the military operation on January 11.

Mr Sunak had held a full Cabinet the evening before the strikes earlier this month, with the Government also briefing Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey.

The Houthis, a Shia rebel group that has held Sanaa since 2014 and been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s exiled government since 2015, have linked their attacks to the Israel-Hamas war.

However, the ships they have targeted increasingly have tenuous links to Israel – or none at all.