Houthi rebels targeting cargo ships in the Red Sea have been given a final warning by some of the World’s most powerful militaries.
The Iranian-backed Houthis will “bear the responsibility of the consequences” if they continue to attack ships.
The statement, signed by 12 countries, leaves open the possibility of strikes against targets in Yemen to restore stability in the Red Sea.
The communique signed by the UK, US, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and New Zealand condemned the “illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilising” attacks on cargo ships using one of the World’s busiest routes.
And they warned the militants: “Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews.
“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.
“We remain committed to the international rules-based order and are determined to hold malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks.”
Britain and America had been trying to convince more European countries to sign the statement.
They warned “these attacks threaten innocent lives from all over the world and constitute a significant international problem that demands collective action.”
The statement added: “Nearly 15 percent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, including 8 percent of global grain trade, 12 percent of seaborne-traded oil and 8 percent of the world’s liquefied natural gas trade.
“International shipping companies continue to reroute their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant cost and weeks of delay to the delivery of goods, and ultimately jeopardizing the movement of critical food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance throughout the world.”
It comes as it emerged British special forces could be used to destroy Houthi boats.
The proposal is one of several said to be under discussion among military chiefs.
The militants say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air and ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by Hamas on October 7.
A Royal Navy destroyer last month joined international efforts to deter attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
HMS Diamond joined American and French warships in a US-led international task force dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Action has heated up in the region, with the US military confirming that its helicopters got into a gunfight on Saturday with four armed Houthi boats after they fired on the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou container vessel.
Several of the rebels were said to have been killed in the clash.
