According to a report from The Times, Britain is making preparations to carry out airstrikes against the Houthi militants in Yemen in response to a series of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The United States and another European country are also expected to participate in these strikes. Later today, the US and UK are set to release a joint statement, warning the Houthis to immediately stop their attacks or face military action from the West.
This warning is being described as a “final warning” by a British government source.
If the Yemeni fighters do not comply with the warning, British and American ships and war planes will launch missiles at predetermined targets in Yemen and the Red Sea.
The Times also mentioned the possibility of an unnamed European country joining the operation.
The Houthis, who currently control a significant portion of Yemen’s territory, have been targeting container ships in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October. Their aim is to divert freight traffic away from Israel and disrupt global supply chains for as long as Israel’s military campaign continues.
The Suez Canal, which facilitates approximately 12% of global trade, is accessed through the Red Sea. In an effort to maintain security in the region, the United States recently established a maritime task force to patrol the Red Sea. However, garnering support from its allies has proven to be a challenge, as Spain has expressed its willingness to participate only in a NATO-led mission, and Italy has dispatched warships solely to protect Italian shipowners. The US Central Command reported that the Singapore-flagged container ship Maersk Hangzhou, operated by Denmark, was hit by a Houthi missile on Saturday.
In response, US Navy helicopters successfully thwarted three Houthi boats attempting to board the vessel on Sunday, marking the first successful American strike against the militant group since the deployment of the task force.
Prior to these attacks, Maersk, one of the largest shipping companies globally, had recently resumed using the Red Sea route after diverting its vessels on a longer journey around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. The Houthi leadership claimed that the Maersk Hangzhou was targeted due to its intended destination at an Israeli port.
