RAF Typhoons Carried Out Attacks on Houthi Rebels in Yemen – Supported by Tomahawk Missiles - The UK's Ministry of Defence announced on Thursday evening that the Royal Air Force carried out precision strikes on a number of facilities used by the Houthi rebel faction in Yemen. The attacks were carried out by four RAF Typhoon FGR4s aircraft, and supported by a Voyager air refuelling tanker.

According to the MoD, the aircraft launched Paveway IV guided bombs to conduct precision strikes on two of these Houthi facilities.

One of the sites was at Bani in north-western Yemen, from where the rebel forces had launched reconnaissance and attack drones. Several buildings involved in drone operations were targeted by the RAF aircraft.

The other location struck by the UK's aircraft was an airfield at Abbs. Intelligence had shown that it was used to launch both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Several key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by the RAF aircraft.

"The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has already been active alongside U.S. and French warships in defending vital international shipping lanes against Houthi drones and missiles," the British ministry said in a statement on Thursday evening. "Given the persistence of the Houthis in threatening merchant ships, several of which have already suffered damage, and the deliberate targeting of HMS Diamond and U.S. Navy vessels on 9 January, coalition forces identified key facilities involved in these attacks, and agreed to conduct a carefully coordinated strike to reduce the Houthis' capability to violate international law in this manner."

The MoD further noted that in planning the strikes, particular care was taken to minimize any risks to civilians, and any such risks were mitigated further by the decision to conduct the strikes during the night.

"The detailed results of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow, and our commitment to protecting the sea-lanes, through which some 15% of the world’s shipping passes and which is vital to the global economy, has been amply demonstrated," the MoD added.

A photo of an RAF Typhoon preparing to engage the targets was shared by the MoD on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

"Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Thursday evening. "This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate."

Tomahawk Missiles Launched By U.S. Subs

In total more than a dozen sites were targeted by Western forces, and in addition to the RAF aircraft, submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles were also employed against the Iranian-back Houthi positions. The missiles were launched from U.S. Navy surface ships and a U.S. Navy submarine, U.S. officials acknowledged.

One of the vessels was identified as the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN-728), which was seen entering the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on November 5.

"Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces­together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands­successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," President Joe Biden said from the White House on Thursday.

"These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea­including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history," the president added. "These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation. More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy.  More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea­which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on January 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date­directly targeting American ships."

The strikes come after the Iranian-backed militants had repeatedly used drones and missiles to target commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for weeks, supposedly in support of Hamas in its war with Israel.

The Houthis have vowed retaliation for the strike.

This is a developing story.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suicu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author at [email protected].