Red Sea news: Britain launches second Houthi attacks as US joins forces | Politics | News
British and American forces have bombed Iranian-backed Houthi rebels again tonight (January 22) after a “surge” in Red Sea ship attacks.
RAF fighter jets joined US warships and a submarine in a coordinated campaign to destroy Houthi missile launchers and storage sites. The air strikes came just hours after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held crisis talks with US President Joe Biden over the phone.
The pair paid tribute to British and American troops who “are currently working closely together to uphold freedom of navigation and protect lives in the Red Sea”.
Downing Street added: “The leaders condemned the surge in violent Houthi attacks on commercial ships transiting the area and undertook to continue efforts alongside international partners to deter and disrupt those attacks.
“This includes work through the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian, putting diplomatic pressure on Iran to cease their support of Houthi activity and, as needed, targeted military action to degrade Houthi capabilities.”
Earlier this month, military chiefs ordered fighter jets, navy destroyers and an American submarine to bomb drone storage units, missile launch sites, airfields, ammunition supplies, production facilities and air defence radar systems.
The strikes killed five Houthi fighters and wounded another six. Mr Sunak, speaking hours after the intervention, said the strikes were an act of “self-defence”, adding that the aim was to “restore stability in the region”.
The Ministry of Defence said numerous buildings were destroyed in the airstrikes.
And Mr Sunak, in the aftermath of the bombing raid, said the Houthis – a military and political group who control the north of Yemen and its capital Sanaa – needed to “recognise the international condemnation for what they are doing and desist”.
Financial services group Allianz has forecast that “if the crisis persists for several months” global inflation could be pushed up by half a percentage point to 5.1%, just as it appeared that the worst of recent price rises were over.
The Houthis have vowed to continue attacking ships in the Red Sea, adding that any British or American vessels are also targets.
The US has struck Houthi targets in Yemen seven times since carrying out its first set of attacks together with the UK military on January 11. The first wave of strikes, in which the two countries hit approximately 30 sites across Houthi-controlled Yemen, marked the beginning of Operation Poseidon Archer, one official said.
US intelligence has claimed the Iranian-backed militants were trying to acquire more Iranian weapons.
