UK ‘won’t hesitate’ to strike Houthis again, PM warns after ‘destroying 13 targets’ in response to ‘illegal’ attack
The Prime Minister said he wanted to restore "stability back to the area"
BRITAIN will not “hesitate” to launch more strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis, Rishi Sunak has warned after confirming “all 13 planned targets were destroyed”.
The Prime Minister‘s comments come after the Red Sea saw more action today, with a US commercial ship being hit by a missile off the coast of Yemen, according to US and UK officials.
Since the UK and the US smashed dozens of military targets last week in Yemen, the furious rebel group vowed “unimaginable” revenge.
Making a statement in the Commons about the military action, the PM reiterated the UK “will not hesitate to protect our security and our interests where required”.
In a blunt warning to the Houthis, he also said “the threats to shipping must cease” and “illegally detained vessels and crews must be released”.
He went on: “We remain prepared to back our words with actions.”
The PM also told MPs all planned targets had been destroyed in the strikes with no reports of civilian casualties.
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He said: “I can tell the House today that our initial assessment is that all 13 planned targets were destroyed.”
He added: “We have seen no evidence thus far of civilian causalities, which we took great care to avoid.”
The possibility for Britain to conduct further strikes has also been raised by both the Defence Secretary and the Foreign Secretary.
Grant Shapps told Sky News this morning the UK will “consider” whether it “has to take further action” to repel Houthi attacks.
He said the purpose of last week’s strikes were “not to go into Yemen or anything like that”, but to “send a very clear, I hope unambiguous message” for the Houthis to stop their assaults.
The Cabinet Minister added: “We will now watch and monitor the situation very carefully.
“As we’ve said — not just to the Houthis but to their Iranian masters, in a sense, because they are really proxies for Tehran — this cannot go on.
“International shipping … freedom of navigation is just a given and always has been for many, many years. We cannot have that situation where they are trying to harass it and we will keep a very close eye.
“If we have to take further action, that is something that we will consider.”
Meanwhile, writing for the Sunday Telegraph over the weekend, Lord Cameron said the UK and its allies will “always defend the freedom of navigation” and “will be prepared to back words with actions”.
The Foreign Secretary also that the Houthi assertion that their attacks are linked to Israel’s war in Gaza is “nonsense”.
“They’ve attacked ships from countries all over the world, heading to destinations right across the globe,” he wrote.