Iran, which supports the Houthis, strongly condemned the attacks.

Russia said it had requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the military strikes.

US President Joe Biden announced Australia’s involvement in the strikes which were launched in response to the Iran-backed group continuing to blockade international shipping lanes in the Red Sea in support of Palestine.

“Today, at my direction, US military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands —successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways,” Biden said.

“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” he said.

Fears of escalation

But the strikes, the first on Yemeni territory since 2016, were also an undeniable demonstration of Washington’s struggle to contain the fallout of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East since its eruption in October.

“The concern is that this could escalate,” said Andreas Krieg at King’s College in London, warning of the risk that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could also be drawn into the confrontation.

In a statement after the strikes, Saudi Arabia called for restraint and “avoiding escalation”.

Iran accused of involvement

The US also accused Iran of being involved operationally in the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, providing the military capabilities and intelligence to carry them out.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia’s support came in the form of “personnel in the operational headquarters for this activity”.

“The government will continue to support any actions that assert the global rules-based order and freedom of navigation,” Marles told reporters in Geelong.

“The actions that have been taken today, supported by Australia, are about maintaining freedom of navigation on the high seas,” he said. 

“They are about maintaining global trade, and that is completely central to Australia’s national interest. This decision was not taken lightly.”

The federal government considered a request from the US to deploy a Royal Australian Navy warship to the region, but instead sent extra Australian Defence Force personnel to help with security efforts.

Houthis back Hamas

The Houthis say their attacks are a demonstration of support for Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls Gaza. Israel has launched a military assault that has killed more than 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.

The Houthi have attacked 27 ships to date, disrupting international commerce on the key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for about 15 per cent of the world’s shipping traffic.

Witnesses told Reuters that the raids targeted a military base adjacent to Sanaa airport, a military site near Taiz airport, a Houthi naval base in Hodeidah and military sites in Hajjah Governorate.

Opposition defence spokesman Andrew Hastie called on the Australian government to offer more support to its AUKUS coalition partners.

“The Prime Minister continues to put at risk important alliances with the US and the UK by failing to provide a maritime contribution to the Red Sea,” opposition defence spokesman Hastie said.

“This is a significant moment in global security and Australia has a role to play alongside our closest security partners,” he added.

Senator slams response

Greens Senator David Shoebridge said Australia’s support of “the bombing of one of the only ports in a country that desperately needs to receive medicine, food and supplies is horrific”.

“If you want any clearer proof that the Australian Government has given up any pretence at independence, look at the fact that it was the President of the US, not the Australian Prime Minister, who announced that Australia is involved in bombing another country,” Shoebridge said.

Earlier on Thursday, the Houthis’ leader said any US attack on the group would not go without a response.

The Houthis, who seized much of Yemen in a civil war, have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. However, many of the targeted ships have had no links to Israel.

The US military said on Thursday Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, the 27th attack by the group since November 19.

US and British naval forces shot down 21 drones and missiles fired by Yemen-based Houthis on Tuesday towards the southern Red Sea, the largest attack in the area by the militants.

In December, more than 20 countries agreed to participate in a US-led coalition, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea.