From March 15 to May 6, 2025, the United States carried out a major air and naval campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen under Operation Rough Rider, in what was described as the largest US military operation in the Middle East during Donald Trump’s second term.
The strikes were launched after the Houthis escalated attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, along with missile launches tied to the Gaza war.
The campaign lasted about seven weeks and involved more than 1,000 strikes across multiple Houthi-held areas, including Sanaa, Saada and Al Hudaydah. US forces targeted radar systems, air defenses, missile sites, drone launch facilities and command centers in an effort to weaken the group’s ability to attack commercial and naval vessels.
The operation used fighter jets from the USS Harry S. Truman, B-2 stealth bombers and armed drones. The United Kingdom joined the campaign on April 30, carrying out its first strikes on Houthi drone-manufacturing sites.
The Red Sea Crisis
The conflict traces back to the Red Sea crisis that began in late 2023, when the Houthis started attacking international shipping and firing missiles at Israeli cities in response to the Gaza war. After a brief lull around the January 2025 Gaza ceasefire, the group resumed attacks on March 11 following a new humanitarian aid blockade in Gaza.
By mid-March, the Houthis had targeted more than 190 vessels, causing sinkings, fatalities and severe disruption to global trade. The Trump administration responded by redesignating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and launching the offensive days later.
Major incidents and casualties
The US military claimed to have killed between 500 and 600 Houthi fighters. However, the Houthi-run Health Ministry reported at least 238 civilians killed, including 24 children, and hundreds more injured.
One of the deadliest incidents came on April 17, when a strike on a fuel storage site at Ras Isa reportedly killed at least 80 people. Another major strike on April 28 hit a detention center holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people, according to local reports.
The Houthis also claimed to have downed several MQ-9 Reaper drones and fired missiles and drones at the USS Harry S. Truman, though US officials said those carrier attacks failed.
How it ended
On May 6, Trump announced a ceasefire brokered by Oman, effectively ending the operation. Under the deal, the Houthis agreed to stop attacking US vessels in the Red Sea, though they said they would continue targeting Israeli ships and Israel itself.
Israel then launched its own strikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Hodeidah and Sanaa as the US campaign wound down. Houthi attacks on commercial shipping later resumed in July 2025.
Why it mattered
Operation Rough Rider showed how quickly the Red Sea crisis had turned into a broader regional conflict. It also highlighted the risks of using sustained military force to protect maritime trade while trying to deter a group that framed its campaign as part of the wider Gaza war.
