Joint US, UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen 'self-defence': British PM Rishi Sunak
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that the country's joint air strikes with the US against Houthi military targets in Yemen overnight was a «necessary and proportionate action in self-defence.» The US-led strikes are the first against the Houthi militia since it started targeting international shipping in the Red Sea from November 2023.
Sunak accused the Iranian-backed group of threatening UK ships as the US Air Force said more than 60 targets at 16 locations used by Houthis in Yemen were struck.
«Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week,» said Sunak.
«This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping,» he said.
«The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate,» he added.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said RAF typhoons conducted two precision strikes on Houthi sites, including an airfield used to launch drones and missiles over the Red Sea, and another site used to launch attack drones.
«The detailed results of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis' ability
