Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the ongoing airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen was an act of “self-defence.”
In the first offensive action taken against the Iran-backed Houthis since its fighters began targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea late last year, US and UK forces have targeted multiple Houthi locations with fighter jets and navy destroyers, with ships firing Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Photos of the strikes show large explosions near Sanaa airport at the Al-dailami air base.
Sunak said that the Royal Air Force (RAF) carried out targeted strikes against Houthi rebels due to their “reckless actions risking lives at sea”, while US President Joe Biden warned he “would not hesistate to direct further measures”.
In a statement after the strikes began, Sunak said: “The Royal Air Force has carried out targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen.”
Sunak continued: “In recent months, the Houthi militia have carried out a series of dangerous and destabilising attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea, threatening UK and other international ships, causing major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices.
“Their reckless actions are risking lives at sea and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.
“Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week.
“This cannot stand.
“The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade.”
Sunak added: “We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.
“The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate.”
In response to the attacks, Abdulsalam Jahaf, a Houthi official, said: “Now America, Britain, and Israel are launching raids on Hodeidah and Sanaa. We will discipline them God willing.”
The news comes as US troops in the Middle East have faced an increase in drone and rocket attacks since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
The Houthis have vowed to keep up their attacks until Israel allows food, medicine, and other humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
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