Lord Cameron hints at UK striking Houthi targets again if Red Sea attacks continue

Great Britain could strike targets in Yemen again if the Houthi rebel attacks continue, Lord Cameron has suggested.

The Foreign Secretary hinted that further attacks on the Iranian-backed militants in Yemen could be carried out by the British Armed Forces.

This follows on from recent US strikes and Houthi rebels vowing to take revenge on Britain and America.

• UK-US strikes deliver message Houthis need to understand, Strategic Command chief says
• US launches second strike against Houthi rebels using Tomahawk missiles
• More than 60 Houthi rebel targets hit in series of joint RAF-US air strikes in Yemen

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Cameron said the air strikes sent an "unambiguous message" to the Houthis that the UK was determined to put a stop to the attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

"We will work with allies. We will always defend the freedom of navigation," he said. "And crucially we will be prepared to back words with actions.

"If the Houthis deny this passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe."

Lord Cameron said last week's joint action "will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing".

He insisted the strikes would not escalate into a conflict in the Middle East.

"The escalation has been caused by the Houthis. I mean the point is since November 19 you have had these 26 attacks," Lord Cameron told the BBC.

"There have been more of them, they have been getting worse, and you know, not acting is also a policy – it is a policy that doesn't work."

After the first retaliation strikes which took place overnight on Thursday against the rebels, UK Maritime Trade Operations received a report of a missile attack on a vessel off the coast of Aden.

After the joint strikes, the US conducted its own attacks against rebel facilities with the intent of weakening their ability to carry out further attacks against ships in the Red Sea.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pledged his support for the strikes, and argued that "protecting trade, security and lives are paramount to our national interest".

However, he said the Prime Minister must make a full statement to the Commons on Monday.

The cross-party support for the strikes has generated criticism toward Mr Starmer by some on the left who oppose the use of military action.