The American strikes come amid an intensifying, parallel drive by U.S. ally Israel, which has launched its own series of airstrikes on Houthi targets in response to recent missile and drone attacks on Israel that, while mostly intercepted, have struck some civilian sites and have sent millions seeking regular refuge in bomb shelters.

Yemen's Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said that the country would continue to defend itself after several U.S. strikes targeted facilities in the capital Sanaa on Tuesday.