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The British government would not “hesitate to protect” UK security amid ongoing tensions with Houthi rebels, Rishi Sunak has said.

The British military joined forces with the US on Thursday night as it launched attacks against Houthi bases in Yemen – in retaliation for the targeting of international trade in the Red Sea.

The prime minister said the aim of the action was to “de-escalate tensions in the region and actually restore stability back to the area”.

However, with questions swirling around over whether further action would be taken, he added the UK “will not hesitate to protect our security where required”.

Mr Sunak is due to give a statement in the Commons about the operation at around 3.30pm.

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

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 had been damaged.

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Earlier, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News: “We never thought that this would remove all of their facilities. That wasn’t the goal. The goal was to send a very clear message.”

An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the U.S.-led coalition from RAF Akrotiri to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen
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An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the US-led air strikes in Yemen

Describing Houthi attacks on the key shipping lane as “thuggery”, Mr Shapps also said there was no planned escalation of the action, and the UK’s “intention” was not to go into Yemen.

But he insisted the government would “monitor the situation very carefully”.

A spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces in the Houthi-controlled north of the country said in a televised statement the bombardment would “not go unanswered and unpunished”.

And it linked the strikes with the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, saying it would not deter their support for the Palestinians.

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‘UK would consider further action against Houthis if needed.’

On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron denied any link between the Yemen strikes and the war in Gaza to Sky News, saying the action was “completely separate”.

But experts warned those in Arab nations would be unlikely to see it in the same way.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mr Sunak said: “We faced an escalating series of attacks from the Houthis on commercial shipping, including an attack on a Royal Navy warship. That’s unacceptable.

“It’s right that we took proportionate, targeted action against military targets to send a strong message that that behaviour is unacceptable.

“It was a last resort, it came after the end of exhaustive diplomatic activity including a UN Security Council.”

The prime minister added: “Now, I think it is incumbent on the Houthis to recognise the international condemnation for what they are doing and desist.

“But we, of course, will not hesitate to protect our security where required.”

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Mr Sunak will make a statement on the military action in the Commons later on Monday, four days after the strikes.

He briefed Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer ahead of the strikes on Thursday, as well as the Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sir Keir said: “The action that the government took in conjunction with the US is action that we support.

“What we now need to hear from the prime minister is the scope, the basis, the full reasoning behind the decision that he took and of course the question of whether more action may be needed, and what processes will be put in place.”

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However, some MPs are angry ministers did not bring the issue to parliament before joining the US-led operation last week, with the Liberal Democrats demanding a retrospective vote on the issue.

Asked if he would support further strikes in Yemen, Sir Keir said: “If the government is proposing further action, then it should say so and set out the case and we’re going to have to consider that on a case by case basis on the merits.”

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Brazil ends crypto tax exemption, imposes 17.5% flat rate on gains

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A scrambled G7 agenda as world leaders scramble to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict

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A scrambled G7 agenda as world leaders scramble to de-escalate the Israel-Iran conflict

The return on Donald Trump to the G7 was always going to be unpredictable. That it is happening against the backdrop of an escalating conflict in the Middle East makes it even more so.

Expectations had already been low, with the Canadian hosts cautioning against the normal joint communique at the end of the summit, mindful that this group of leaders would struggle to find consensus.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney carefully laid down an agenda that was uncontroversial in a bid to avoid any blow-ups between President Trump and allies, who of late have been divided like never before – be it over tariffs and trade, Russia and Ukraine, or, more recently Israel’s conduct in Gaza.

But discussions around critical minerals and global supply chains will undoubtedly drop down the agenda as leaders convene at a precarious moment. Keir Starmer, on his way over to Canada for a bi-lateral meeting in Ottawa with PM Carney before travelling onto the G7 summit in Kananaskis, underscored the gravity of the situation as he again spoke of de-escalation, while also confirmed that the UK was deploying more British fighter jets to the region amid threats from Tehran that it will attack UK bases if London helps defend Israel against airstrikes.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is greeted by President Donald Trump as he arrives at the West Wing of the White House, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Canadian PM Mark Carney is greeted by President Donald Trump at the White House in May. Pic: AP

Really this is a G7 agenda scrambled as world leaders scramble to de-escalate the worst fighting between Tel Aviv and Tehran in decades. President Trump has for months been urging Israel not to strike Iran as he worked towards a diplomatic deal to halt uranium enrichment. Further talks had been due on Sunday – but are now not expected to go ahead.

All eyes will be on Trump in the coming days, to see if the US – Israel’s closest ally – will call on Israel to rein in its assault. The US has so far not participated in any joint attacks with Tel Aviv, but is moving warships and other military assets to the Middle East.

Sir Keir, who has managed to strike the first trade deal with Trump, will want to leverage his “good relationship” with the US leader at the G7 to press for de-escalation in the Middle East, while he also hopes to use the summit to further discuss the further the interests of Ukraine with Trump and raise again the prospects of Russian sanctions.

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“We’ve got President Zelenskyy coming so that provides a good opportunity for us to discuss again as a group,” the PM told me on the flight over to Canada. “My long-standing view is, we need to get Russia to the table for an unconditional ceasefire. That’s not been really straightforward. But we do need to be clear about what we need to get to the table and that if that doesn’t happen, sanctions will undoubtedly be part of the discussion at the G7.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (right) is greeted by Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney as he arrives at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (R) is greeted by Mark Carney as he arrives in Ottawa ahead of the G7

But that the leaders are not planning for a joint communique – a document outlining what the leaders have agreed – tells you a lot. When they last gathered with Trump in Canada for the G7 back in 2018, the US president rather spectacularly fell out with Justin Trudeau when the former Canadian president threatened to retaliate against US tariffs and refused to sign the G7 agreement.

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Since then, Trump has spoken of his desire to turn Canada into the 51st state of the US, a suggestion that helped catapult the Liberal Party beyond their Conservative rivals and back into power in the recent Canadian elections, as Mark Carney stood on a ticket of confronting Trump’s aggression.

With so much disagreement between the US and allies, it is hard to see where progress might be made over the next couple of days. But what these leaders will agree on is the need to take down the temperature in the Middle East and for all the unpredictability around these relationships, what is certain is a sense of urgency around Iran and Israel that could find these increasingly disparate allies on common ground.

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