The British navy on Saturday foiled an attack by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea targeting its ship HMS Diamondthe British Ministry of Defense said on Sunday.
“Yesterday, the crew of HMS Diamond had to once again shoot down a Houthi attack drone which was illegally targeting the ship,” the ministry writes on X. There were no injuries or damage to the boat, it specifies.
These attacks are “totally unacceptable and it is our duty to protect freedom of navigation on the Red Sea,” adds the ministry.
The UK “remains resolute” in the face of these attacks by the “Iranian-backed” Houthis, Defense Minister Grant Shapps said on X. “Our commitment to protecting innocent lives and freedom of navigation is absolutely unwavering “, he added.
Since November, the Houthi rebels, close to Iran, have increased attacks against merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, saying they are acting in “solidarity” with the Palestinians in Gaza, in the grip of the war between the the Israeli army and the Islamist movement Hamas.
This situation has pushed certain shipowners to suspend transits through the Red Sea, which normally sees up to 12% of world trade, and to bypass Africa to reach Asia and Europe.
The United States and the United Kingdom carried out several strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen in response. On Thursday, they announced sanctions against four of their officials, accused of being involved in organizing these attacks.
Early Saturday morning, American forces struck a rebel site in Yemen after a rebel attack on a British oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis had indicated that they had carried out this attack in support of the Palestinian people and “in response to British and American aggression”.