The British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, authorized this Friday joint military attacks with the United States for the first time against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to sources from the English government cabinet to the Bloomberg agency and the Associated Press (AP); as allies seek to deter further attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Sunak's cabinet approved the decision without consulting the British Parliament, following a late Thursday telephone conference with the US. As a result, both armies reportedly began bombing specific locations used by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in a massive retaliatory attack, according to AP reports. The prime minister's office declined to comment, as did White House spokespersons.
As reported by the official residence at 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister spoke today with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, to address the situation in the Red Sea, and stressed that the United Kingdom is willing to take measures to defend freedom. navigation.
"They discussed the worrying rise in Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the disruptive impact on global shipping, including through the Suez Canal. The Prime Minister said the UK would continue to take action to defend freedom of navigation and protecting lives at sea," said a Downing Street spokesperson.
The United States and the United Kingdom previously warned the Houthis of unspecified consequences if they carried out a series of attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea, an economically vital shipping route. Early Thursday, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, in what U.S. officials said was the 27th attack on commercial shipping by the group since Nov. 19.
The attacks on the Iran-backed Houthis would mark a significant escalation in the weeks since Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7 and Israeli forces responded with a devastating air and ground campaign in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis began harassing commercial ships soon after and have vowed not to let up until Israel ends its attack on Gaza.
