The latest round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen are "not an escalation" of the conflict, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said.The Ministry of Defence confirmed that three sites were hit by RAF Typhoon jets on Saturday night.More than 30 targets were struck in the third wave of joint UK and US attacks on the Iran-backed group.It comes after the US hit sites Syria and Iraq on Friday, following a deadly attack on a US military base.On Saturday, 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen were hit by air strikes from a coalition of eight countries.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00 The Houthis believe they are the region's Robin Hood.
00:04 But as I discussed with the Yemeni Defence Minister just yesterday, when I saw him in Saudi,
00:10 the only people they are robbing are innocent Yemenis,
00:14 whose food and aid arrives via the Red Sea.
00:20 And that is why, at the weekend, the Prime Minister and I again authorised the use of force
00:25 in strict accordance with international law and in self-defence.
00:30 On Saturday, Royal Air Force Typhoons, supported by two Voyager tankers,
00:34 joined the US forces to conduct further precision strikes against Houthi locations in Yemen.
00:41 We would much rather the Houthis simply stopped attacking international shipping,
00:47 stopped damaging global trade and stopped harming the prospects of their own people.
00:53 At the same time, appeasing the Houthis today will not lead to a more stable Red Sea,
00:59 indeed a more stable region.
01:02 We are not seeking confrontation and we urge the Houthis
01:06 and all those who enable them to stop these illegal and unacceptable attacks.
01:11 But if necessary, the UK will not hesitate to respond again in self-defence.
01:19 Mr Speaker, placating the sponsors of terror does not benefit our international order in the long run,
01:25 or bring peace to the Middle East or elsewhere in Europe or indeed the world.
01:29 Thank you.
01:31 [BLANK_AUDIO]