Rubio informed Lavrov of Washington's decision to launch strikes against Yemen's Houthis in a call that came after the two countries relaunched dialogue since Donald Trump took office, Moscow said per AFP.

"In response to argumentation put forward by American representatives, Sergei Lavrov stressed the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force and the importance for all sides to engage in political dialogue so as to find a solution that would prevent further bloodshed," Russia's foreign ministry said.

The first US strikes against the Houthis since President Donald Trump took office in January killed at least 31 civilians, the rebels said Sunday, vowing to respond to "escalation with escalation".

Posting to socials, Trump promised the "use overwhelming lethal force" against the Houthis and ordered Iran to "immediately" sever its support.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the deaths and said Washington had "no authority" to dictate its foreign policy.

Russia, an Iran ally, condemned US and UK strikes on Yemen last year and held talks with the Houthis, calling for a comprehensive settlement to address the country's longstanding military and political crisis.

Since October 2023, Houthi rebels enforced a ban on the passage of Israeli ships and others linked to Tel Aviv to pressure the occupation to end its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which killed nearly 48,000 Palestinians.

On Tuesday, Houthis warned they were "resuming the ban on the passage of all Israeli ships" in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Baba al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden after Israel failed to meet the four-day deadline the group set on Friday for the occupation to lift its deadly blockade on the strip.

The attacks will continue until Israel allows aid deliveries in Gaza, the Houthis said.

The Israeli occupation blocked all aid into the war-ravaged territory two weeks ago to pressure Hamas into extending the ceasefire's first phase without guaranteeing a permanent end to the war on Gaza.

Last Monday, the occupation cut off electricity, which supplies the strip's biggest water desalination plant, effectively denying Palestinians access to clean water.

The Israeli war has triggered what aid groups describe as a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing more than 90 percent of the population multiple times and pushing most to the brink of famine.