Britain Says Ready To Attack Houthis In The Red Sea

The ship was seen from a distance in the Red Sea. (ANTARA/Anadolu)

LONDON - In recent weeks, Houthi militias in Yemen have carried out attacks on Israeli-related ships passing through the Red Sea, as a form of support for the situation in Gaza.

From the start, the Houthis have insisted they will target any ship sailing towards Israel or linked to Zionists. And the height of tension was Yaman Military Spokesman Yahya Saree on Sunday, December 31, saying the United States attacked three of its ships in the Red Sea, killing ten Yemeni soldiers.

Following the heated situation in the Red Sea, the latest news came from England preparing to launch a series of airstrikes against the Houthi militia.

"Based on the plan, reported by ANTARA, Monday, January 1, Britain will join the United States and possibly other European countries to launch missile attacks on previously planned targets, both at sea and on mainland Yemen," wrote the British newspaper The Times.

A British government source said the coordinated attack might involve British Air Force (RAF) warplanes for the first time or the HMS Diamond destroyer.

The Times reports Britain and the US will issue an "unprecedented statement" that will "warn the Houthis to stop attacking merchant ships or confront Western military forces."

On Sunday, British Foreign Minister David Cameron called his counterpart from Iran, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, regarding the Houthi attack on the Red Sea, which Cameron said "threatened the lives of innocent people and the global economy."

Separately, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on Sunday that Houthis' attacks on international ship lines in and around the Red Sea jumped 500 percent.

"This is unacceptable because it is detrimental to world trade by illegally blocking Freedom of Navigation in the Sea. These attacks must be stopped," he wrote in X.

He said the Houthis must end their illegal operations against merchant ships and immediately stop all attacks.

The Iran-backed Houthi armed group in Yemen is increasing their involvement in the conflict in the Gaza Strip by attacking what they call ships bound for Israel in the southern red Sea.

They said the attack was aimed at supporting Palestinians who were facing Israel's aggression and blockade in Gaza.

The Red Sea is one of the most frequently used sea routes in the world for oil and fuel shipments.