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US and UK navies repel largest Houthi attack on Red Sea shipping

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UK and US naval forces have repelled the largest attack yet by Yemen's Houthi rebels on Red Sea shipping, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps says.

Carrier-based jets and warships shot down 21 drones and missiles launched by the Iran-backed group overnight.

The Houthis said they targeted a US ship in retaliation for the killing of rebels who tried to attack a container ship by using speed boats last month.

Mr Shapps said he had "no doubt" that Iran was heavily behind such attacks.

Asked about possible Western strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response, he said: "Watch this space."

The Houthis have carried out 26 attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since 19 November, according to the US military.

The group has claimed - often falsely - that it is targeting ships linked to Tel Aviv in protest at Israeli actions during the war in the Gaza Strip.

The US military said Iranian-designed one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen towards international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea at around 21:15 local time (18:15 GMT) on Tuesday.

Eighteen drones, two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile were shot down by F/A-18 warplanes from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower, which is deployed in the Red Sea, and by four destroyers, the USS Gravely, USS Laboon, USS Mason and HMS Diamond.

HMS Diamond shot down seven Houthi drones using its Sea Viper missiles and guns, a defence source told the BBC. Each of the missiles costs more than £1m ($1.3m).

No injuries or damage were reported.

Later, Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea confirmed that its forces had carried out an operation involving "a large number of ballistic and naval missiles and drones".

"It targeted a US ship that was providing support for the Zionist entity [Israel]," he said.

"The operation came as an initial response to the treacherous assault on our naval forces by the US enemy forces."

He added that the rebels would "not hesitate to adequately deal with all hostile threats as part of the legitimate right to defend our country, people and nation".

Mr Sarea also reiterated that the Houthis would continue to "prevent Israeli ships or ships heading towards occupied Palestine from navigating in both the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the [Israeli] aggression [on Gaza] has come to an end and the blockade has been lifted".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67932725