March–April 2025 United States attacks in Yemen

Overview

In March 2025, the United States launched a large campaign of air and naval strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. Codenamed Operation Rough Rider, it was the first large-scale US military operation in the Middle East during President Donald Trump's second term. The strikes began on March 15, targeting radar systems, air defenses, and ballistic and drone launch sites used by the Houthis to attack commercial ships and naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. On 30 April 2025, the United Kingdom joined the United States in conducting strikes on Houthi targets.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

Operation Rough Rider, launched on March 15, 2025, marked the first large-scale U.S. military operation in the Middle East during President Donald Trump's second term. The campaign targeted Houthi radar systems, air defenses, and ballistic missile and drone launch infrastructure that had been used to attack commercial shipping and naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The strikes were a direct response to the sustained Houthi interdiction campaign against maritime traffic, which had disrupted international shipping lanes in the context of the broader Gaza War. The United Kingdom joined U.S. forces in conducting strikes on April 30, 2025, expanding the coalition character of the operation. The campaign represented a significant escalation of Western military pressure on Houthi capabilities, though no recorded outcome establishes the degree to which the strikes degraded Houthi operational capacity or altered the maritime threat environment.