Brits join US Operation Rough Rider to bomb Houthi drone hub in Yemen

The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force conducted a joint operation with U.S. military forces Tuesday that targeted “a cluster of buildings” in Yemen where Iran-backed Houthi militants produced drones matching those previously launched to attack ships in and around the Red Sea, according to a statement and officials familiar with the operation.

“These were the first direct U.K. strikes under this new U.K. [Labour Party-led] government — the last time was on 30 May 2024,” a spokesperson with the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., told DefenseScoop on Wednesday.

These strikes also mark the first to be authorized by the Brits during President Donald Trump’s second presidency.

They were conducted directly in support of Operation Rough Rider — the aggressive campaign Trump initiated in March to dismantle Houthi infrastructure and leadership, as the group continues to carry out intensifying one-way attack drones and missile assaults against military and commercial watercraft in the Red Sea. The Yemen-based fighters kicked off the attacks in 2023 and have indicated they’re meant as a form of protest of America’s support for Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

On Monday, before the U.S.-U.K. joint mission, the Office of the Navy Chief of Information released a statement confirming that a F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet (valued at more than $60 million) was “lost at sea” after falling overboard the USS Harry S. Truman — reportedly as that aircraft carrier made a sharp turn to evade Houthi fire. 

“This action was taken in response to a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation. A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the U.K.,” British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said in a statement to reporters late Tuesday about the latest joint mission.

The strikes happened after dark and Houthi facilities targeted were located around fifteen miles south of Sanaa, Yemen’s largest city.

“Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision-guided bombs — once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure,” the British Embassy spokesperson told DefenseScoop.

They added that U.K. forces have also recently supplied routine allied air-to-air refueling support “to aid the self defense of U.S. forces” in the region prior to these strikes.

“We have been clear that the U.K. will not hesitate to take action to protect innocent lives and preserve freedom of navigation,” the official said.

A Pentagon spokesperson referred DefenseScoop’s questions Wednesday to U.S. Central Command. Spokespersons from the command did not immediately respond to the request.