Centcom said US forces struck a land-attack cruise missile and four anti-ship missiles that “were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea”.

The latest action comes a day after joint US-UK strikes on Houthi targets.

It follows continued attacks by the Iran-backed group on military and commercial ships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis’ attacks have forced major shipping companies to avoid the waterway, impacting international trade.

Egypt has said its revenue from the Suez Canal plunged by almost half in January, with the number of ships travelling through the key trade artery last month down by more than a third.

Saturday’s joint US-UK strikes lit up the night sky in the south of Yemen’s capital city of Sana’a, with one human rights activist and local resident telling the BBC houses were shaking.

Houthi officials struck a defiant tone in response to the US-led strikes – and vowed to respond.

Reacting to Saturday’s strikes, the group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, wrote on X: “These attacks will not deter us from our moral, religious, and humanitarian stance in support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and will not go unanswered or unpunished.”