Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has accused the Houthis of “thuggery” in the Red Sea, as he suggested the UK was open to carrying out further airstrikes in Yemen.

The British military joined forces with the US on Thursday night as it launched attacks in retaliation for the targeting of international trade in the key shipping lane.

Politics live: Ministers would consider further action against Houthis, says Shapps

Asked by Sky News’s Kay Burley if the government planned an escalation of the action, Mr Shapps said no, but insisted the UK would “monitor the situation very carefully”.

“Our intention is not to go into Yemen or anything like that, but simply to send a very clear, unambiguous message to the Iranian-backed Houthis that their behaviour in the Red Sea is completely unacceptable,” he added.

The US carried out a further strike in Yemen on Friday, but reports suggest only 25% of the Houthi capability to carry out attacks on cargo ships has been damaged.

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Describing the Houthis’ behaviour as “almost like thuggery,” Mr Shapps said: “We are waiting to see now what happens.

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“That international waterway in the Red Sea should be open to international shipping. That is the international law.

“We got increasingly concerned that international shipping was having to reroute and adding hugely to the cost of shipping.”

He added: “We took the action that you saw last week and we’ve made it clear that we will wait and see what happens next.

“But we can’t have a situation where freedom of navigation, the ability for ships to move around the world in international waters, effectively impugned by Iranian backed Houthis harassing that shipping.”

Read more:
Reaction to Shapps interview – politics live
UK deploying 20,000 troops in NATO drill
How UK’s tactics in Red Sea echo WWII

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