Rishi Sunak says UK ‘not seeking confrontation’ with Yemen’s Houthi fighters after second round of strikes
Rishi Sunak has said the UK is “not seeking a confrontation” with Yemen’s Houthi fighters – but it will strike again if their attacks in the Red Sea continue.
Royal Air Force jets took part in a second wave of joint US-UK action against the group on Monday night after further attacks on the vital shipping lane.
Politics Live: Rishi Sunak says UK ‘not seeking confrontation’ with strikes on Houthis
The prime minister told MPs: “We are not seeking a confrontation. We urge the Houthis and those who enable them to stop these illegal and unacceptable attacks.
“But, if necessary, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond again in self defence.
“We cannot stand by and allow these attacks to go unchallenged. Inaction is also a choice.”
Four RAF Typhoons and a pair of Voyager tankers were involved in the latest action.
Several targets were hit at two military sites north of Yemen’s capital Sanaa.
Mr Sunak said the strikes were aimed at sites the Houthis use to support their attacks on shipping and “all intended targets were destroyed”.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have been targeting shipping they claim is linked to Israel in the context of the conflict with Hamas.
But the UK and allies have warned the attacks are indiscriminate and have included targeting Royal Navy and allied warships.
Middle East latest: Houthis warn UK and US to ‘expect a response’
The Red Sea route leading to and from the Suez Canal is one of the world’s most important shipping routes and there are concerns the cost of diverting vessels away from it, around southern Africa, will fuel inflation and damage the global economy.
Outlining the UK’s wider approach to the situation, Mr Sunak said new sanctions would be announced “in the coming days” and in the long term, the UK must “end the illegal flow of arms to the Houthi militia”.
He said this would include “working closely with our allies and partners to disrupt and deter the supply of weapons and components”.
“We are going to use the most effective means at our disposal to cut off the Houthis’ financial resources where they are used to fund these attacks,” he added.
“We are working closely with the United States on this and plan to announce new sanction measures in the coming days.”
Mr Sunak also said the UK will continue to deliver aid to Yemen, which is embroiled in a civil war.
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Labour: ‘We back this targeted action’
Sir Keir Starmer said he backed the “targeted action to reinforce maritime security in the Red Sea”.
He told MPs: “The Houthi attacks must stop. They are designed to destabilise us so we must stand united and strong, they bring danger to ordinary civilians who are working hard at sea, so we must protect them, and they aim to disrupt the flow of goods, food and medicines, so we must not let them go unaddressed.”
It follows criticism that the Labour leader and the Commons speaker were not briefed on the operation ahead of time.
Sir Keir and Sir Lindsay Hoyle were informed by Downing Street at the time of the strikes rather than before – as was the case in the last round of action on 11 January.
MPs will get the chance to debate the situation on Wednesday but will not be given a vote on the military action.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said he was “acting in line with precedence”, given military action is a prerogative matter.
However, many MPs want a vote, as they are are concerned about the conflict in the Middle East escalating.
Labour MP Apsana Begum said the strikes in Yemen “escalates risks” in the region, but the prime minister said it was wrong to “draw a link” between the action in Red Sea and the war in Gaza.
As the prime minister spoke, the government published its legal position on the situation.
It said action to “downgrade the Houthi’s capabilities and deter further attacks was lawfully taken”.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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