David Cameron: UK ready to strike Yemen’s Houthis again if Red Sea attacks continue

Britain stands prepared to carry out further strikes on Houthi targets if commercial and military vessels continue to come under attack in the Red Sea, Lord David Cameron has warned.

Writing for the Telegraph, the British Foreign Secretary said that if the Houthis, who control much of Yemen, are permitted to “deny passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe”.

Cameron said Thursday’s strikes by US and UK forces “will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing”.

But he added that the UK’s “unambiguous” position is that “we will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions”.

The remarks suggest Britain could join the US in carrying out further strikes if the Houthis persist in launching missile and drone attacks on shipping vessels.

They echo a similar warning by US president Joe Biden, who said: “We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behaviour, along with our allies.”

On Friday night, US forces carried out an additional strike on a Houthi radar site in Sana’a, the Yemeni capital.

In his article in the Telegraph, Cameron also described as “nonsense” the “Houthi contention that this is all about Israel and Gaza”, adding: “They’ve attacked ships from countries all over the world, heading to destinations right across the globe.”

His remarks will be seen as a rebuke to figures such as Baroness Warsi, a conservative peer who chaired the party under Cameron, who have echoed Houthi claims the attacks are simply a response to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On Saturday, demonstrators at a pro-Palestinian march in central London chanted support for the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.

Some protesters were heard shouting, “Yemen, Yemen make us proud, turn another ship around”, in apparent celebration of the actions of the Iran-backed rebel group.

One banner on the march to Parliament Square read “Hands off Yemen”, while another said “Thanks Yemen”. A further placard read: “UK + US wants war. Yemen supports Palestine. Gaza wants to live.”

Responding to images of the march, Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, said: “It’s extraordinary to watch young men and women – who I’m sure would tell you they believe in freedom and equality – supporting groups like the Houthis, who have reintroduced slavery and systematically violate the rights of women and girls.”

On Saturday, the Houthis taunted the UK and US, claiming that the strikes carried out so far have had no significant impact on their ability to attack vessels passing through the Red Sea.

Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesman for the group, said the latest US strike on Friday night would receive “a firm, strong and effective response”.

On Thursday night, RAF Typhoon jets launched Paveway IV laser-guided bombs at two Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen, in a raid the government believes has significantly reduced the group’s ability to attack commercial ships in the Red Sea.

The mission was undertaken with US forces, who used air, sea and submarine vessels in the Red Sea to target more than 60 Houthi sites linked to 27 attacks since November.

Cameron praised UK prime minister Rishi Sunak for approving the first set of UK strikes, which he said followed “a request from the US to assist with limited and targeted military action”.

He added: “Our joint action will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing. We targeted sites from which we know their attacks were launched. We will carefully assess the impact of what has been done.”

“But, more importantly, we have sent an unambiguous message: What the Houthis are doing is wrong, and we are determined to put a stop to it. We will work with allies. We will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions.”

The Foreign Secretary insisted Britain had “not rushed into these strikes”, having issued “warning after warning”. Military action would always be “a last resort”, he said.

He revealed he had personally spoken to Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, to leave Tehran and the Houthis “in no doubt” about the potential consequences of the rebel group’s aggression.

“Attacks against merchant and commercial shipping are completely unacceptable. They had to stop. And if they did not, we would have to take action,” he added.

“The Houthis chose to escalate. The number of attacks accelerated – and the severity of those attacks increased.”