UK undaunted after Houthi attack on HMS Diamond in Red Sea, says Shapps

Grant Shapps has said the UK remains “undaunted” after Iran-backed Houthis targeted the HMS Diamond in the Red Sea during their latest round of strikes.

Crew on the ship shot down a drone deployed by the Yemenbased group, which appears undeterred despite UK-US military action against the rebels earlier this week.

No injuries or damage were sustained, the Ministry of Defence said.

In a post on X, Mr Shapps wrote: "The UK remains undaunted after yesterday's illegal attack on @Hmsdiamond by the Iranian backed Houthis. Our commitment to protect innocent lives and the freedom of navigation is absolutely unwavering."

The MOD earlier branded ongoing action by the Houthis "intolerable and illegal", and said Britain and its allies "reserve the right to respond appropriately".

The British destroyer along with US Navy ships deployed in the area have been been targeted by the group in the past.

It comes after a Britishlinked oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden was sent up in flames for hours into Saturday by another rebel strike.

The fire on the Marlin Luanda was extinguished with no crew injured after French, Indian and US naval ships provided assistance to the vessel.

The ship sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands but is managed by Oceonix Services Ltd, a company registered in the UK.

The Yemeni forces claimed on Friday they had hit the vessel following "American-british aggression against our country". The Houthis have repeatedly launched attacks on vessels around the Red Sea over Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, although they have frequently targeted ships with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping on a key global trade route.

A second series of UK and US air strikes, carried out at the start of the week, appears to have done little to thwart their action. British warships cannot attack Houthi targets on land because they lack the firepower, according to a report.

The US has carried out the majority of strikes with support from RAF planes based 1,500 miles away.