British and US forces appear to be readying to strike Houthi rebels after Red Sea attacks

A Royal Navy warship shot down seven drones overnight on Tuesday in an operation with US naval vessels and jets to repel the largest Houthi drone and missile attack to date. Security and Defence Editor @haynesdeborah The crisis could ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East. Pic:MOD Why you can trust Sky News British and US forces appear to be gearing up to strike an Iranian-backed militant group in Yemen after the Houthi rebels defied a warning to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary, accused Iran of meddling and declared “enough is enough” in an escalating crisis that could ignite a wider conflict across the Middle East. Concerns are also growing about the global economic impact of the disruption to shipping through the vital Red Sea, with vessels choosing to divert, pushing up the cost of trade and potentially causing inflation to rise. A Royal Navy warship shot down seven drones overnight on Tuesday in an operation with US naval vessels and jets to repel the largest Houthi drone and missile attack to date. A Royal Navy warship shot down seven drones overnight on Tuesday Image: Pic:MOD Why are the Houthis attacking ships in the Red Sea It came despite a warning by the United States, the UK and other partners issued a week ago to the group to end the targeting of commercial shipping or “bear the responsibility of the consequences”. ‘Watch this space’ Asked whether military action against Houthi targets was now inevitable, Mr Shapps told reporters on Wednesday: “I can’t go into details but I can say that the joint statement that we issued set out a very clear path that, if this doesn’t stop, then action will be taken, so I am afraid the simplest thing is […]

Click here to visit source. British and US forces appear to be readying to strike Houthi rebels after Red Sea attacks