Rishi Sunak has said the UK is “not seeking a confrontation” with Yemen’s Houthi fighters – but it will strike again if their attacks in the Red Sea continue.
Royal Air Force jets took part in a second wave of joint US-UK action against the group on Monday night after attacks on the vital shipping lane continued.
Politics Live: Rishi Sunak says UK ‘not seeking confrontation’ with strikes on Houthis
The prime minister told MPs: “We are not seeking a confrontation. We urge the Houthis and those who enable them to stop these illegal and unacceptable attacks.
“But, if necessary, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond again in self defence.
“We cannot stand by and allow these attacks to go unchallenged. Inaction is also a choice.”
Mr Sunak said new sanctions would be announced “in the coming days” in response to the Houthi attacks.
Outlining the UK’s wider approach to the situation, he said the UK must “end the illegal flow of arms to the Houthi militia”, who are backed by Iran.
He said this would include “working closely with our allies and partners to disrupt and deter the supply of weapons and components”.
Mr Sunak added: “We are going to use the most effective means at our disposal to cut off the Houthis’ financial resources where they are used to fund these attacks.
“We are working closely with the United States on this and plan to announce new sanction measures in the coming days.”
He said the UK would keep helping the people of Yemen “who have suffered so terribly as a result of the country’s civil war”.
“We will continue to deliver humanitarian aid and support a negotiated peace in that conflict.”
We cannot stand by and allow these attacks to go unchallenged. Inaction is also a choice.”
Four RAF Typhoons and a pair of Voyager tankers were involved in the latest action.
Several targets were hit at two military sites north of Yemen’s capital Sanaa.
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Labour: ‘We back this targeted action’
The Houthis have been targeting shipping they claim is linked to Israel in the context of the conflict with Hamas.
But the UK and allies have warned the attacks are indiscriminate and have included targeting Royal Navy and allied warships.
The Red Sea route leading to and from the Suez Canal is one of the world’s most important shipping routes and there are concerns that the cost of diverting vessels away from it, around southern Africa, will fuel inflation and damage the global economy.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he backed the action, but wanted to see the government publish the legal advise it has received on the situation.
It follows criticism that he was not briefed of the operation ahead of time.
Sir Keir and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were informed by Downing Street at the time of the strikes rather than before – as was the case in the last round of action.
MPs will get the chance to debate the situation on Wednesday but will not be given a vote on the military action.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s important that parliamentarians are able to have their say but we are acting in line with precedence.”
Many MPs want a vote, as they are are concerned about the conflict in the Middle East escalating.
Labour MP Aspana Begum said the strikes in Yemen “escalates risks” in the region, but the prime minister said it was wrong to “draw a link” between the action in Red Sea and the war in Gaza.
