Missile fired at vessel after Houthis vow retaliation for US-British strikes as Sunak says threat 'can't continue'

12 January 2024, 17:02 | Updated: 15 January 2024, 14:11

Rishi Sunak has said joint US-British strikes against the Yemeni rebels were a "strong signal" to the group - hours before a missile was fired at a ship near Yemen.

The prime minister authorised military action against the militants overnight in retaliation for the Houthis firing drones and missiles at shipping vessels in the Red Sea for weeks.

The rebels have vowed to respond to the attack - sparking fears of regional tensions in the Middle East spiralling into a wider conflict.

And on Friday afternoon, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations (MTO) agency, which helps ships with security in the Middle East, said it was told a missile was fired to a vessel but landed up to 500 metres away.

The vessel said it was also followed by three small craft but nobody was injured and it was carrying on to its next port of call.

It was not immediately clear if the Houthis were behind it.

The MTO also said it had received "multiple reports" of small boats approaching ships south east of Aden, including two craft that followed a vessel for more than an hour, though no weapons were seen.

Speaking earlier in Ukraine, Mr Sunak said Britain needed to act because the Houthis' threats to shipping, the global economy and sailors' lives could not continue.

"Over the last month, we've seen a significant increase in the number of Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea," he said.

"That's putting innocent lives at risk, it's disrupting the global economy and it's also destabilising the region.

"And in that time, we've also seen the single biggest attack on a British Navy warship that we've seen in decades.

"Now it's clear that that type of behaviour can't carry on. That's why we joined with allies in issuing very public condemnation of this behaviour."

The Houthis have been firing missiles and drones at shipping in solidarity with Hamas amid Israel's invasion of Gaza.

The group is backed by Iran, which is also a key supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia Israel has exchanged fire with on its northern border.

Read more: Price rises, interest rate hikes and terror concerns: What could the Houthi ship attacks and UK response mean for you?

The Houthis' attacks have escalated the conflict, with a British warship, HMS Diamond, joining the US Navy in repelling an attack earlier this week.

Mr Sunak ordered Typhoon warplanes to fly from the UK's military bases in Cyprus to hit Houthi targets in Yemen alongside US strikes.

A total of 16 targets, which included Houthi command centres, munitions dumps and air defence units were struck.

Australia, Canada, Bahrain and the Netherlands all backed the action.

President Joe Biden said: "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."

Ali al-Qahoum, a senior Houthi member, promised retaliation and posted on X: "The battle will be bigger ... and beyond the imagination and expectation of the Americans and the British."

Explosions were heard in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and in areas south of the city, as well as near the port of Hodieda. The Houthis control the western part of the country which has been torn apart in a series of civil wars.

Read more: Read it in full: Rishi Sunak's statement on 'targeted strikes' in Yemen

On Thursday, US Central Command, which controls American forces in the Middle East, said there had been 27 Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The strikes came after warnings were issued to the group telling them to stop.

Earlier in the week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution that called on the Houthis to end their assaults - which even included the hijacking of a commercial ship, the Galaxy Leader, which the Houthis mistakenly identified as Israeli.

Mr Sunak was visiting Ukraine after pledging £2.5bn in aid to the country. It will help pay for new drones, most of which are set to be made in the UK.