UK to ‘wait and see’ on possible further strikes against Houthis, says defence minister

LONDON: Britain will “wait and see” before deciding to launch fresh military strikes against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen in order to protect international shipping, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday.

“Let’s wait and see what happens, because it’s not that we want to be involved in action in the Red Sea. But ultimately freedom of navigation is an international right that must be protected,” Shapps told Sky News, when asked if Britain would carry out more strikes.

Britain last week participated in US-led air strikes across Yemen against Houthi forces in retaliation for months of attacks on Red Sea shipping, but was not involved the following day when US forces conducted a further strike.

Since those strikes, Houthi on Sunday fired an anti-ship cruise missile towards a US destroyer in the Southern Red Sea.

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It was shot down by a US fighter jet. Shapps said that Britain was keeping the Houthi situation under review.

“They should be aware that if it doesn’t stop then of course we will then have to take the decisions that need to be taken,” he said.