The US military first launched attacks against the Houthis in 2023, during the Biden administration, after the militants started launching drones and missiles at commercial ships in the Red Sea.
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut down by Iran, there has been a renewed focus on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb strait at Yemen's southern tip.
The strike marks the latest fatal attack on a ship in the contested Red Sea waterway after the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia last month.