David Cameron Warns Houthis About Threats to Free Shipping in the Red Sea

On Saturday, January 13, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron warned the Houthis in Yemen that if they threaten free shipping in the Red Sea, London will strike at the group's targets in that country. In a note published in the British newspaper 'Daily Telegraph,' Cameron emphasized that London will always defend the freedom of navigation and added, 'We will be ready to support our words with action.' The British Foreign Secretary warned about the consequences of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, stating that this would lead to price increases in Britain and globally. On Friday, January 12, Britain and the United States, supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, attacked dozens of positions used by the Houthis in various regions of Yemen. Previously, Grant Shapps, the British Defense Minister, had warned the Islamic Republic that 'the world's patience is running thin.' In an interview with the Daily Telegraph published on Saturday, he said that the Iranian government must urge the Houthis, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its other proxy groups in Iraq and Syria to cease their actions immediately. The British Defense Minister emphasized that the world is witnessing the actions of the Islamic Republic, particularly the Houthis, warning that these actions 'will not have any positive outcome.' According to him, 'thugs' cannot be allowed to harass international ships. The Daily Telegraph reported on Wednesday, January 10, citing its intelligence sources inside Iran, that the Houthis in Yemen have been trained at the 'Khamenei University of Marine Sciences and Technologies' in Ziba Kenar, Rasht, and that Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, oversees their activities. The statements from British officials come at a time when the U.S. military attacked Houthi positions in Yemen early Saturday. This attack followed remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday, stating that if the Houthis continue their destructive behavior in the Red Sea and threaten international shipping and global trade, they can be assured that we will respond again. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the Houthis threatened on Saturday, following the U.S. attack earlier that day, that they would respond strongly and effectively. Officials from this Iran-backed group had made similar threats on Friday.