[1][15][16][17] US President Joe Biden ordered the strikes, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak convened his cabinet to authorize British participation.

[18][19] American officials said the strikes were intended to degrade Houthi capabilities to attack Red Sea targets rather than to kill leaders and Iranian trainers.

[11] On 16 February 2021, the Biden administration removed Ansar Allah, the formal political and military organization of the Houthi movement, from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) blacklist,[21] due to concerns that the designation would impede the delivery of humanitarian aid amid Yemen's worsening political and socioeconomic crisis, as the Houthis controlled much of the most populated territory in Yemen.

[22] In April 2022, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which, despite formally lapsing the following October, continues to hold as of December 2023.

[29] By 21 December 2023, the Port of Eilat, which gives Israel via the Red Sea its only easy shipping access to Asia without the need to transit the Suez Canal, had seen an 85% drop in activity due to the Houthi action.

[40] One day before the strike, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning Houthi activities in the Red Sea, in which Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique abstained.

[54][55] On 19 January, at 6:45 p.m. local time, US Navy F/A-18 aircraft from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower targeted Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen that US officials said were being prepared for launch.

[56] On 20 January, at 4 a.m. local time, a US airstrikes hit a Houthi anti-ship missile that US officials said was prepared to target shipping in the Gulf of Aden.

[64] On 3 February, at about 7:20 p.m. local time, the US struck six anti-ship cruise missiles that US officials said were an "imminent threat" as they were being prepared to launch against vessels in the Red Sea.

[70] Additional strikes occurred at 5:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. local time, targeting five land attack cruise missiles that US officials said were being prepared for launch against merchant and US Navy ships.

[73] On 8 February, the US conducted seven strikes against Houthi unmanned surface vessels and anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

[76] On 10 February, at about 4-5 p.m. local time, the US conducted five strikes against Houthi unmanned surface vessels and mobile anti-ship cruise missiles north of Al Hudaydah.

[91] On 4 March, the US conducted strikes targeting two Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles that presented a threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region.

[92] On 6 March, the US conducted strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi controlled area of Yemen that presented a threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region.

[100] On 22 March, the US conducted strikes against three Houthi underground storage facilities and four unmanned aerial vehicles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, including in Sanaa.

[119] On 7 June, the Houthis' official news outlet reported four joint US and UK airstrikes on Hodeida International Airport and the Port of Salif,[120] and two additional strikes on the Al-Thawra region.

[127] On 15 June, the US Central Command stated that its military had destroyed seven Houthi radar systems in Yemen that enabled the group to locate and target merchant vessels.

[132] On 28 June, CENTCOM stated that American strikes had destroyed seven drones and a UAV ground control station in Houthi-controlled territory over the past day.

[148][149] On 16 December, the US carried out an airstrike on a command and control facility in Sanaa that was used in attacks against US naval vessels and merchant ships in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

[155][156] On 8 January, CENTCOM announced that it conducted precision strikes on two underground advanced conventional weapon storage facilities in Yemen used to attack ships in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

[162] According to Yemeni sources who spoke to Sky News Arabia, as of 21 January, at least 75 Houthi fighters, including six members of the Lebanese Hezbollah, three Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and two Iranian-backed Iraqi militants, have been killed in the ongoing bombing campaign.

The government reaffirmed its right to enhance security in the Red Sea region, saying stability there and globally "cannot be achieved except by restoring the legitimate state institutions in Yemen."

Reaffirming its support for the Palestinian cause, the Yemeni government warned that "the Israeli aggression in occupied territories risks further destabilizing the region and threatening international peace and security".

[165] Houthi deputy foreign minister Hussein al-Izzi called the attacks "blatant aggression" and said the US and UK would "pay a heavy price" in an interview with Al-Masirah.

Legal experts have argued that ambiguity in existing law allows for Congress to place limits on the president's authority to take military action without its approval.

[172] Joe Biden stated that the "defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels' escalating attacks against commercial vessels" and added that he would "not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary".

[179] According to a YouGov poll conducted on 15–16 January 2024, 53% of British respondents supported the government's decision to launch strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, while 22% opposed.

[180] The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), which covers 62% of world shipping tonnage, recommended that its members halt Red Sea transit for up to 72 hours as a result of the strikes.

[212] A joint statement by 26 humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen raised concerns that the military escalation "will only worsen the situation for vulnerable civilians and hinder the ability of aid organisations to deliver critical services."

It also urged all parties "to prioritise diplomatic channels over military options to de-escalate the crisis and safeguard the progress of peace efforts in Yemen.