Britain will not hesitate to take further action in Red Sea, insists Defence Secretary
The UK is prepared to take "direct action" against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels threatening the safety of merchant ships in the Red Sea, the Defence Secretary has said.
The US and UK are planning potential military strikes according to reports, after the US said its navy sank three Houthi boats that had been targeting a container ship.
In the Telegraph newspaper, Grant Shapps said the UK "won't hesitate to take further action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea".
"The Houthis should be under no misunderstanding: We are committed to holding malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks," he said.
Houthi rebels have been causing chaos to international trade routes.
The US has shot down a number of Houthi rebel targets as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new operation which began shortly before Christmas to deter attacks on cargo ships in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
On Boxing Day, US Central Command announced that the destroyer USS Laboon and US F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft had shot down 12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two land attack cruise missiles over the Red Sea.
Previous Houthi strikes had been thwarted by missiles fired from UK, US and French warships.
The Sea Viper and Harpoon missile-carrying HMS Diamond is engaged in Prosperity Guardian.
The new operation already has the support of 20 countries.
A UK Government spokesperson said: "The situation in the Red Sea is incredibly serious, and the Houthi attacks are unacceptable and destabilising.
"As you would expect, while planning is under way for a range of scenarios, no decisions have yet been made and we continue to pursue all diplomatic routes.
"We call for the Iranian-backed Houthi to cease these illegal attacks and we are working with allies and partners to protect freedom of navigation."
Join Our Newsletter
