UK threatens Yemen with bombing — RT World News
The Defense Minister told reporters that he would not “allow” the situation in the Red Sea to continue
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps warned during a press conference on Wednesday that Britain was preparing to begin bombing in response to attacks carried out by the Houthis in Yemen on ships in the Red Sea.
Speaking hours after a British destroyer shot down a swarm of Houthi drones and missiles over the busy shipping lane, Shapps declared: “This cannot continue and we will not allow it to continue.“
“We cannot get to a situation where a major sea route, a key ability to move goods around the world, is cut off by terrorists and thugs, so we must act.“He continued.
“The UK and its allies have previously made clear that these unlawful attacks are completely unacceptable, and if they continue, the Houthis will bear the consequences.“, Shapps warned in a statement issued to coincide with the press conference.
The Defense Minister insisted that the Houthis were not acting alone. “Iran is directing what happens out there in the Red Sea, providing them not only with the equipment to carry out those attacks, but also often with the eyes and ears to allow those attacks to happen.“, he claimed.
The British destroyer HMS Diamond shot down seven drones in an attack on Tuesday night, according to Shapps, while three US destroyers and F-18/A aircraft also shot down some of the projectiles. He described the Houthi attack as the most complex yet launched since the Yemeni group began targeting crowded shipping lanes in the Red Sea in response to the deadly Israeli bombing of Gaza.
A Houthi spokesman said the attacks would continue.Until the siege on Gaza is lifted“, explaining that Tuesday's raid targeted”An American ship was providing support [to Israel]” K “The initial response to the treacherous attack on our naval forces by the American enemy“.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution demanding an immediate halt to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, and condemning the attacks as an obstacle to global trade and freedom of navigation. The resolution was passed a week after the UK, US and ten other countries issued an ultimatum designed to “final warningThe Houthis, insisting on stopping their operationsDeeply destabilizing“attacks or”Take responsibility for the consequences.”
Since the start of the Israeli war against Hamas in October, the Houthis have reportedly launched at least 26 attacks in the Red Sea. While 12% of global trade previously passed through the waterway, including 30% of global container traffic, many of the world's largest shipping companies have abandoned the direct route due to safety concerns, and are planning longer, more expensive routes around the Cape. Good hope. Last month, the British Treasury warned that the shipping outage could cause the country's economy to shrink by 0.3%, an estimate that has since risen.
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