The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have vowed to target all British warships entering the Red Sea ‘in self-defence’ as tensions in the Middle East continue to rise.
Ameen Hayyan, the group’s military spokesman also announced US ships would be targeted too. He said: “All American and British warships in the Red [Sea] will be targeted within the right of legitimate defence of our country.”
He claimed that all ‘aggressive’ US and UK warships against Yemen would be targets of the attacks.
Since the new year, the Yemen-based militia group have been launching attacks on cargo ships and other vessels traversing the Red Sea near to Yemen. The group claims they have been targetting ships which are Israeli-owned, flagged or operated in protest of the war in Gaza.
However, many of the vessels which have been targeted have nothing to do with Israel.
The news comes as The Royal Navy is preparing to send an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea to drop the drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels.
The Navy will step in to replace the USS Dwight D Eisenhower when it returns to the US. James Heappey, the armed forces minister, said: “The fact is the Eisenhower can’t stay there forever. And so there’s a thing about just maintaining a carrier presence in the region where we might cooperate with the Americans to provide a capability there.”
We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
For the latest news and breaking news visit: /news
Stay up to date with all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow our social media accounts here on facebook.com/DailyExpress and @daily_express
