Shapps: UK ready to attack Houthi rebels

Defence Secretary says air strikes would be part of ‘direct action’ in Yemen conflict

BRITAIN is considering air strikes on Houthi rebels as the Defence Secretary warned that the UK would not hesitate to take “direct action” over their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.

The UK is drawing up plans with the US for potential military strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen to counter their attacks on shipping which are causing chaos on world trade routes.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Grant Shapps warns the Houthis that Britain is willing to act to deter threats. The US and UK are preparing an unprecedented joint statement that could be issued as early as today giving the Houthis a final warning to stop their attacks.

The Telegraph understands that any attack would be likely to be led by the US. It would represent a major escalation of the response to the Houthis and discussions are under way for other countries to join the US and the UK.

One option under consideration in the Ministry of Defence is to move HMS Lancaster, a Type 23 frigate operating in the Gulf region, to the Red Sea to support HMS Diamond.

In his article, Mr Shapps highlights the fact that HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, shot down a Houthi attack drone in self-defence in the Red Sea earlier this month. He says: “As HMS Diamond illustrated earlier in the month, we are willing to take direct action, and we won’t hesitate to take further action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

“The Houthis should be under no misunderstanding: We are committed to holding malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks.”

It comes after the US Navy destroyed three Houthi boats yesterday, killing at least 10 rebels as they attempted to board a container ship in the Red Sea. US Navy helicopters from nearby warships opened fire on the small boats after they attacked the Maersk Hangzhou container ship.

Sources said the US-UK joint statement would be a “verbal final warning” to the Houthis. It is thought unlikely that the statement will set out any specific military action.

However, speaking ahead of it being issued, Mr Shapps said: “If the Houthis continue to threaten lives and trade, we will be forced to take the necessary and appropriate action.

“Those terrorists who are disrupting trade in the Red Sea are drinking in the last chance saloon. Diplomatic efforts have been made to find a resolution but with limited success.”

Two senior US defence officials told The Telegraph that the Biden administration would not “telegraph” its military plans in advance, but they did not rule out the prospect of air strikes in the near future.

“US forces have the inherent right to self defence, and if we do decide to take any action against the Houthis, then we will do so at a time and place of our choosing,” said a US defence source.

A Houthi spokesman issued a statement urging other countries not to join the US in their response to the attacks and warning of “negative repercussions” for those who did.

The Houthi rebels, who are backed by the Iranian regime, began strikes on commercial ships in the Red Sea in December in solidarity with Hamas and its war with Israel.

By convention, any military action would likely be put to a House of Commons vote unless the severity of attacks required strikes to be launched at short notice. MPS return from their Christmas break on Jan 8.

Earlier this month, a British warship brought down an attack drone targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea. It was the first time our navy had shot down an aerial target in anger in more than 30 years.

HMS Diamond, a Type 45 Destroyer which fired one of our Sea Viper missiles to destroy the drone, had been sent to the Red Sea to bolster international efforts to keep open one of the world’s most important waterways. The situation in the Red Sea is incredibly serious. And although it is thousands of miles away, it has an impact on everyone in the UK.

Some merchant shipping is being forced away from using the Red Sea route to transport goods around the world. Twelve international companies have been forced to suspend passage through the Red Sea, including BP and commercial shipping giant Maersk. The effect is that container ships and oil and chemical tankers are having to take a 5,000-mile detour around Africa to reach Europe and elsewhere.

It is causing lengthy delays and disruption to global supply chains and is having an economic impact on prices in the shops. Insurance costs for international shipping have already increased ten-fold since early December.

The Houthi attacks – which have increased 500 per cent from November to December – put innocent sailors lives at risk, exacerbate the humanitarian suffering in Yemen, and are destabilising the wider region.

Continued Red Sea aggression risks miscalculation and escalation which could trigger a region-wide conflict.

An international force is collecting in the region. The UK has joined the US and others in Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure the freedom of navigation in the region. London is host to the International Maritime Organisation, meaning that we play a leading role in international maritime security and will continue to condemn in the strongest terms the illegal and unjustified attacks on commercial shipping.

There is a wider issue at risk here as well. This is a test for the international community – not least in terms of contested waterways elsewhere in the world. If we don’t protect the Red Sea, it risks emboldening those looking to threaten elsewhere including in the South China Sea and Crimea.

We need to stand firm with our allies, stand firm for our beliefs and stand firm for innocent people caught up in these events.

As HMS Diamond illustrated earlier in the month, we are willing to take direct action, and we won’t hesitate to take further action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

The Houthis should be under no misunderstanding: we are committed to holding malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks.

‘If we don’t protect the Red Sea it risks emboldening those elsewhere in South China Sea and Crimea’