Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, said the government would not hesitate to take “direct action” to prevent further attacks amid reports the UK and US are preparing a joint statement to issue a final warning to the Yemeni group.
This month a Royal Navy destroyer joined international efforts to deter attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
Multiple reports have said the UK is weighing up the possibility of an armed response as the Iran-backed Houthis claim attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports.
“I spoke to [Amir-Abdollahian] today about Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which threaten innocent lives and the global economy,” Lord Cameron said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou reported that it had already been hit by a missile on Saturday night while crossing the southern Red Sea and requested assistance, Centcom said in a statement.
On Saturday, the top commander of US naval forces in the Middle East said Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their “reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.
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