LONDON: The UK sent a “clear and unambiguous message” to Yemen’s Houthi movement after taking military action against them over their attacks in the Red Sea, the foreign secretary has said.
Lord Cameron told the BBC the US-UK air strikes show “we are prepared to back our words with actions”.
He also defended the government not consulting Parliament before acting.
The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, claiming to be target Israel-linked vessels.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Lord Cameron said the UK had given the Houthis, who are key allies of Hamas, “warning after warning” before joining US-led strikes.
Looking at the global situation more generally, Lord Cameron cautioned “it’s hard to remember a more unstable, dangerous and uncertain world” and the “red lights on the global dashboard are very much flashing” – given ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and Africa.
The Iranian-backed group’s attacks on cargo ships – some of which have no clear connection to Israel – have led major shipping companies to divert vessels away from the Red Sea, instead taking a longer route around southern Africa.
Lord Cameron also defended the government not consulting Parliament before carrying out the air strikes in Yemen.
After confirming there would be a statement in Parliament about the air strikes soon, he said a political debate before this kind of military action would not have been right “for reasons of operational security”.
Asked if the attacks represented an escalation of the conflict, Lord Cameron denied this and told the BBC the Houthis were responsible for escalating their attacks on shipping in the vital sea lane since mid-November and the joint UK-US attacks were a “last resort”.
After arguing that “not acting is also a policy that doesn’t work”, he said: “The strikes themselves were limited, proportionate, targeted, legal, but there were also necessary.”
In an earlier piece in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Cameron said the UK took part in the strikes to defend “freedom of navigation” and warned prices would rise in the UK if Houthis blocked important trade routes.
He also suggested Britain could strike Houthi targets again if their attacks continued.
The Houthis are a political and military group which control a large part of Yemen, including the capital. They are backed by Iran, Israel’s arch-enemy.
The Houthis have declared their support for Hamas and claim they target any ship travelling to, or owned by, Israel. They have carried out at least 27 attacks since 19 November, according to the US, and have launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel.
But Lord Cameron said the Houthi claim that their attacks were linked to the war in Gaza was “nonsense”.
“They’ve attacked ships from countries all over the world, heading to destinations right across the globe,” he wrote.
He added that the joint action “will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing”.
US-led strikes against Houthi targets began early on Friday and were described by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence”.
On Saturday, a Houthi spokesman told Reuters the strikes had no significant impact on the group’s ability to affect shipping.
Mr Sunak has been criticised by some opposition parties for not consulting Parliament in advance of the strikes, though the government does not have to do this.
He will give his first statement to MPs on the matter on Monday.
In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Mr Sunak said the world was the “most unstable it had been for decades” and the UK could not afford to avoid taking action in the Red Sea.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer defended his support for the strikes in the face of criticism from some on the left of his party, arguing that “protecting trade, security and lives are paramount to our national interest”.
US President Joe Biden has said there will be further retaliation against the Houthis should the group continue with its “outrageous behaviour”.
A spokesman for the Houthis said there was “absolutely no justification” for the attacks and that the group would continue to target Israeli ships.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis gathered in several cities on Friday in protest at the strikes, with many burning Israeli and American flags.
Houthis control north Yemen, capital Sanaa and the Red Sea coastline. The armed group declares themselves to be part of the Iranian-led “axis of resistance” against Israel, the US and wider West.
Courtesy: BBC
