Key Facts
- Operation start
- December 2023
- Coalition members
- More than 20 countries
- Houthi-recorded airstrikes (to Jan 2025)
- 931 American and British strikes
- Houthi casualties (to Jan 2025)
- 106 killed, 314 injured
- U.S. strikes from Mar 2025
- Over 1,000 during Operation Rough Rider
- Ceasefire brokered
- 6 May 2025, mediated by Oman
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 10 January 2024, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding Houthis halt attacks. That same day, Houthis launched their largest drone and missile barrage. The coalition responded with airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen beginning 12 January 2024. By January 2025, 931 strikes had been recorded. From March 2025, operations intensified under Operation Rough Rider, with the U.S. conducting over 1,000 additional airstrikes, yet failing to achieve air superiority or suppress Houthi capabilities.
01 / The Origins
Following the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, Yemen's Houthi movement began attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, targeting ships linked to Israel to pressure it over Gaza. The attacks disrupted global maritime trade. On 18 December 2023, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of a multinational maritime security coalition of more than 20 nations to counter the threat, though notable regional powers and European nations declined to join.
03 / The Outcome
On 6 May 2025, President Trump declared a ceasefire brokered by Oman, claiming the Houthis had capitulated. The Houthis agreed to halt attacks on U.S. vessels but explicitly excluded Israeli-linked shipping. U.S. officials acknowledged the strikes had not achieved their objectives. After the ceasefire, attacks on commercial shipping resumed. The EU's Operation Aspides continued providing limited defensive protection to vessels transiting the region.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
3 belligerents
Lloyd Austin, Donald Trump.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.