After the United Kingdom and United States carried out airstrikes in Yemen, the Houthis have promised to seek retaliation.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have issued a warning to the Western countries about potential violent retaliation following a string of British and American-led airstrikes against them. This has raised concerns about a significant increase in tensions in the Middle East.

Rishi Sunak stated that the response demonstrated that the insurgents’ assaults on vessels in the Red Sea could not be conducted without consequence. Meanwhile, foreign secretary Lord Cameron emphasized that the actions sent a strong message to their supporters in Iran.

British and American military forces launched attacks on 60 objectives across 16 areas during the initial hours, successfully destroying command centers and locations where drones and missiles were stored. As a result, the Houthis threatened retaliation and declared that British and American interests were now acceptable targets.

It came as:

The Houthis, who support Hamas, state that they are attacking ships connected to Israel in a highly trafficked shipping lane due to the conflict in Gaza. While the global community anticipated the Houthis’ reaction, Mr. Sunak remained unyielding during his trip to Ukraine and did not dismiss the possibility of additional military intervention in Yemen. He emphasized that attacks on vessels cannot go unanswered.

Downing Street denied the UK was at war with the Iran-backed group and said the strikes, targeting military facilities used by rebels, had been proportionate and carried out in self-defence.

President Joe Biden approved the attacks on Tuesday and has also stated that he is willing to take more action if needed.

The Houthi rebels claimed that the bombings resulted in the death of five individuals and injured six others. They promised to retaliate for these actions. Turkey also expressed disapproval towards the US and UK, accusing them of turning the Red Sea into a violent area. Russia also denounced the strikes.

While at home, Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, supported the government’s actions. However, he requested that a statement be given to Members of Parliament “at the earliest possibility.”

The PM’s decision to not get parliamentary approval for the strikes caused controversy, even though they had informed the Labour leader beforehand and had a late-night cabinet meeting.

Layla Moran, the spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats on foreign affairs, expressed disapproval of Mr Sunak’s decision to circumvent parliament. Number 10 stated that MPs will not have the opportunity to vote after the fact, but did not completely rule out future strikes.

General Sir Richard Barrons stated that the UK needs to be ready to launch another strike on Yemen. He advised that the Western world should anticipate a retaliatory reaction, potentially involving additional attacks to demonstrate that the rebels are not conquered. He also mentioned that there is a possibility for the situation to calm down afterwards.

Former Secretary of Defense Sir Malcolm Rifkind expressed a similar sentiment, stating to The Independent that he anticipates additional strikes.

According to him, the Houthis are determined to show that they cannot be intimidated. Therefore, I would not be surprised if there is another incident in the near future. It could happen within a week or 10 days, or even within the next 48 hours. When it does occur, the US will respond with another strike. After that, there may be a period of time without any further strikes.

Philip Ingram, a former officer in British military intelligence, issued a warning about the upcoming “critical” time frame of 12 to 48 hours, during which the response of the Houthis will be observed.

He stated that drones could surround British military ships, and although he was certain there were enough people to take them down, it was still very risky. He also acknowledged that nothing is guaranteed and there is always a possibility that some may slip through.

Major General Tim Cross, who has experience serving in Iraq, the Balkans, and Northern Ireland, cautioned that it would be a likely strategy for the Houthis to attempt to overwhelm a warship using drones.

According to a statement given to The Independent, it has been observed in countries like Ukraine that a large number of drones can increase the likelihood of a few successfully breaking through defenses. While 90% of the drones may be intercepted, the remaining few could still cause damage and serve as a significant propaganda win for the Houthis.

However, Lord West, who held the position of UK naval chief from 2002 to 2006, downplayed the likelihood of a larger conflict with Iran. He stated, “I believe these strikes will make Iran realize that we do take this seriously. I do not think it will escalate.”

The speaker cautioned that Mr Sunak may need to take further action if needed. The question is raised, how will we respond if the Houthis continue their attacks? Will we escalate our response? This will be a challenging decision. If they persist in targeting innocent merchant and warships, it seems we will have no choice but to take action.

Sophia Gaston, the leader of foreign policy at the research organization Policy Exchange, cautioned about the potential for a broader conflict in the area as a result of the attacks.

She stated that responding with increased attacks on ships in the Red Sea could lead the US and UK to encounter “uncomfortable” situations.

She stated that the US and UK are entering a more dangerous territory, as they do not want to be forced to take part in a larger military strike and potentially involve other neighboring countries.

She stated that the presence of multiple proxies representing various countries, such as the Houthis and Hezbollah as representatives of Iran, inevitably creates a volatile situation. She also believes that many of these players view the current stakes as a matter of survival, making the risk of conflict much greater.

Mr. Sunak’s decision to support airstrikes was supported by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who emphasized that the situation in Yemen has an impact on everyone. The disruption of shipping routes also leads to increased costs for everyday items in western countries.

In his column in the Daily Mail on Friday, the author expressed concern over the ongoing Houthi attacks on shipping. He warned that if this continues, it could have a devastating impact on the global economy, including the UK. The author urged action to be taken against the Houthis, as their actions will ultimately affect individuals and their financial stability.

Former UK national security adviser Lord Ricketts cautioned that the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea is causing significant disruptions to the major trade route, which handles 20% of global container traffic and a large amount of oil and gas exports.

Massive blasts were witnessed in cities across Yemen during the early hours of Friday morning.

The Ministry of Defence reported that on Tuesday, four Royal Air Force fighter jets attacked two Houthi installations that were responsible for targeting HMS Diamond and US Navy ships.

The Bani site and the Abbs airfield were both utilized for launching drones and cruise missiles.

Tobias Borck, a senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi), stated that the potential for a larger regional conflict has been present since Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel on October 7th.

He stated that escalation may occur due to accidents and miscalculations, or as a gradual increase in risk, leading to a normalization of extraordinarily high levels of violence.

Source: independent.co.uk