David Cameron said the Houthis had received “warning after warning.” Photo: Waldrin Kshemaj/AFP via Getty Images
Britain is prepared to carry out further strikes on Houthi targets if commercial and military vessels continue to be attacked in the Red Sea, Lord Cameron has warned.
Writing in The Telegraph, the Foreign Secretary said that if the Houthis, who control much of Yemen, were allowed to “deny passage to ships, vital supply chains would be at risk and prices would rise in the UK and around the world.”
Lord Cameron said Thursday's strikes by US and UK forces would “result in some weakening of the Iranian-backed Houthi capabilities.”
But he added that the UK's “clear” position was that “We will always defend freedom of navigation. And, most importantly, we will be ready to back up our words with deeds.”
The remarks suggest the UK could join the US in carrying out further strikes if the Houthis continue to launch missile and drone attacks on shipping.
They echo a similar warning from US President Joe Biden, who said: “We will take care about how to respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies.”
On Friday evening, US troops carried out an additional strike on a Houthi radar in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen.
In his article in The Telegraph, Lord Cameron also called the “Houthi claim that it is all about Israel and the Gaza Strip” “nonsense”, adding: “They attacked ships from countries around the world, heading to their destinations directly across
His remarks will be seen as a rebuke to figures such as Baroness Warsi, a fellow Conservative who led the party under Lord Cameron, who echoed Houthi claims that the attacks are simply a response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
On Saturday, demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian march in central London chanted support for Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.
Some protesters were heard shouting: “Yemen, Yemen makes us proud, turn another ship around!” an apparent celebration of the Iranian-backed rebel group.
One banner on the march to Parliament Square read “Hands off Yemen” and another said “Thank you Yemen”. The next poster read: “Great Britain + The USA wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza wants to live.”
Responding to images of the march, Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, said: “It's incredible to see young men and women – who I'm sure would tell you they believe in freedom and equality – supporting groups like the Houthis, who have reintroduced slavery and systematically violate the rights of women and girls.”
The Houthis mocked Britain and the US on Saturday, saying the strikes so far had not had a significant impact on their ability to attack shipping passing through the Red Sea.
Nasruldin Amer, a spokesman for the group, said the latest US strike on Friday night would receive a “firm, decisive and effective response.”
RAF Typhoon aircraft launched Paveway IV laser-guided bombs on Thursday evening. at two Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen in a raid that the government says has significantly reduced the group's ability to attack commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The mission was carried out by US forces using air, sea and submarine ships in the Red Sea to attack more than 60 Houthi targets, linked to 27 attacks since November.
Lord Cameron praised Rishi Sunak for approving the first operation. a series of UK strikes that he said followed “a US request for assistance in limited and focused military action.”
He added: “Our combined action will go some way to weakening the Houthis' established capabilities.” with the support of Iran. We attacked sites from which we knew their attacks originated. We will carefully evaluate the impact of what we do.
“But more importantly, we have sent a clear message: what the Houthis are doing is wrong and we are determined to put an end to it. We will work with allies. We will always defend freedom of navigation. And, most importantly, we will be ready to back up words with actions.”
The Foreign Minister insisted that Britain was “slow on these strikes”, issuing “warning after warning”. Military action will always be a “last resort,” he said.
He said he had personally spoken with Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's foreign minister, to leave Tehran and the Houthis “without doubt” about the potential consequences of aggression rebel group.
“Attacks on trade and commercial shipping are completely unacceptable. They had to stop. And if they didn’t, we would have to take action,” he added.
The Houthis chose escalation. The number of attacks has increased and their severity has increased.”
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