Sunak says UK will not hesitate to take further action against Houthis

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) – Following the latest round of strikes against the Houthi group in Yemen, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said these were "limited, proportionate strikes," adding they will not hesitate to take further action "if necessary."

Addressing the House of Commons on the latest strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, the premier said the Royal Air Force took part in the second wave of strikes, following the first joint action along with the US in early January.

“We did so because we continue to see … an imminent threat from the Houthis to UK commercial and military vessels and to those of our partners in the Red Sea and the wider region,” he said.

He said the UK acted alongside the US with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands "fully in line with international law, in self-defense, and in response to a persistent threat."

"As with the first wave, the strikes were limited to carefully selected targets, with maximum care taken to protect civilian lives," added Sunak.

The US and British forces said they conducted the strikes Monday against eight Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks in the Red Sea, according to an earlier joint statement.

Following the strikes, Yemen's Houthis vowed to retaliate as Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said: "These assaults won't go unpunished."

- 'We are not seeking a confrontation'

"Attempting to counter every Houthi attack after it has been launched is simply not sustainable," said Sunak, adding that they have already shot down "dozens of missiles and drones targeted at civilian vessels and the Royal Navy."

He noted that since the first strikes against the Houthis, the Iran-backed group has conducted at least 12 further attacks on ships.

"So we acted to further degrade their ability to mount such attacks," he said, stating: "We are not seeking a confrontation."

Sunak added: "The United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond again in self-defense. We cannot stand by and allow these attacks to go unchallenged."

He noted that they took "extensive steps to address this threat" to international security before taking military action.

"We launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in December with over 20 other countries," reminded Sunak, adding the international community issued repeated statements over the two months, condemning the attacks on ships.

Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

However, Sunak said that "there is no link" between the actions in the Red Sea and the situation in Israel and Gaza. "Those who make that link do the Houthis' work for them."

- Opposition backs government

For his part, Keir Starmer, the leader of the main opposition Labour Party, backed the government's "targeted action to reinforce maritime security in the Red Sea."

He noted that they do not "question the justification for action," however, asking Sunak about the effectiveness of the strikes to degrade Houthi capabilities.

Also saying that the international community "cannot allow itself to be divided," Starmer claimed that this is "exactly what the Houthi backers in Tehran would love to see."

"Like the prime minister, I totally reject the Houthi claims that attacking ships from around the world is somehow linked to the conflict in Gaza. These attacks do absolutely nothing for the Palestinian people," he added.

Starmer went on to say that what is needed in Gaza is a "humanitarian truce now, a sustainable cease-fire to stop the killing of innocent civilians."

The leader of the main opposition has long been criticized by many for not calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 25,295 Palestinians and injuring 63,000. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.