US and UK forces have bombed more than a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen in a massive retaliatory strike using warship-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets, US officials said.

The military targets included logistical hubs, air defence systems and weapons storage locations.

Shortly before midnight, explosions were reportedly heard in several major cities in a dramatic escalation of tensions. 

The strikes marked the first US military response against the Houthis for what has been a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The coordinated military assault comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to cease the attacks or face potential military action.

The warning appeared to have had at least some short-lived impact, as attacks stopped for several days.

On Tuesday, however, the Houthi rebels fired their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles targeting shipping in the Red Sea, with US and British ships and American fighter jets responding by shooting down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship missile.

On Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was seen by a commercial ship but did not hit it.

The rebels, who have carried out 27 attacks involving dozens of drones and missiles since November 19, said on Thursday that any attack by American forces on its sites in Yemen will spark a fierce military response.