US warns ships to stay out of parts of Red Sea as Houthi rebels vow retaliation

The US-led bombardment was launched in response to a recent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea (Alamy/PA)

The US Navy has warned American-flagged vessels to stay out of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the next 72 hours after the US and Britain launched multiple air strikes targeting Houthi rebels.

The warning in a notice to shippers came as Yemen’s Houthis vowed fierce retaliation for the US-led strikes, further raising the prospect of a wider conflict in a region already beset by Israel’s war in Gaza.