Britain warns of severe consequences after Houthi attack in Red Sea repelled

Britain has warned of severe consequences after US and UK warships were forced to repel a barrage of 20 Houthi rockets, drones and cruise missiles fired at ships in the Red Sea.

It was the most sustained and complex assault mounted by the Iranian-backed group since the Houthi force governing Yemen from the capital, Sana’a, launched its attacks. More than 20 attacks have been mounted since mid-October, deterring a large number of major shipping companies from using the Red Sea naval route and pushing up prices.

Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary, said: “The attacks launched by the Houthis are unacceptable and their consequences will be severe.”

The Houthis, once seen as a minor localised military force, say the attacks are intended to force Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.

American and British forces say they shot down 18 drones and three missiles on Tuesday. “Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs … anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea,” the US Central Command (Centcom) said in a statement.

The drones and missiles were downed by a combination of F/A-18 warplanes operating from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier and one British and three American destroyers, Centcom said, adding that there were no injuries or damage reported.

The US set up a multinational naval taskforce last month to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks, which are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12% of global trade.

Shapps said the HMS Diamond “repelled the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date”.

He said the ship, described by the Royal Navy as “a jewel in the naval crown”, destroyed multiple attack drones with guns and Sea Viper missiles.

The US said no Iranian ships were involved in the attack.

Last week, 12 countries led by the US warned the Houthis there would be direct consequences if the attacks undermining freedom of navigation along the busiest waterways in the world were not brought to an end.

The Houthis formally rejected the western demand in a letter to the UN, and followed this up with a military assault that reduced the options available to Centcom.

Plans to designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation, a designation lifted by the US president, Joe Biden, at the start of his term in office, have fallen away as an alternative response.