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Britain could strike Houthi targets in Yemen again if the rebel group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea, the foreign secretary has suggested.

Lord Cameron warned the Iran-linked fighters could force up prices in Britain if they are allowed to block the passage of container ships in the busy trade route.

The US struck another site in Yemen early on Saturday after the Houthis vowed revenge for the bombing raid carried out by the Americans and the RAF a day earlier.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Lord Cameron said the joint action “will have gone some way to degrade Houthi capabilities built up with Iranian backing”.

Middle East crisis – latest: Footage shows moment RAF jet strikes targets in Yemen

He argued that not acting would be accepting that Houthi attacks could “virtually shut a vital sea lane with relative impunity”.

“If the Houthis deny this passage to ships, vital supply chains are threatened and prices will go up in Britain and across the globe.”

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Satellite pictures show Yemen strikes

Lord Cameron said the airstrikes “sent an unambiguous message” to the Houthis that “we are determined to put a stop” to their Red Sea attacks.

And he hinted that Britain could join the US in striking the Houthis again if they continue.

“We will work with allies. We will always defend the freedom of navigation. And, crucially, we will be prepared to back words with actions,” he said.

Read more from Sky News:
Why have the UK and US launched strikes on Yemen and who are the Houthis?
Strikes against Houthis draw Britain and America closer to Iran confrontation

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer defended his support for the strikes, which Rishi Sunak ordered without first consulting parliament, as prime ministers sometimes do before military interventions.

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This was ‘message to Iran’ as well, says Lord Cameron

Writing for the Independent, the Labour leader argued that “protecting trade, security and lives are paramount to our national interest”.

He said the prime minister “must make a full statement” to the Commons when it returns on Monday, but stressed the need for swift military action.

Sir Keir was facing some criticism from the left over his support for the strikes.

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Diane Abbott, who was Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow home secretary but now sits as an independent, said: “In 2020 Keir Starmer said no more illegal wars.

“He said that he would only back war if it was legal, had a viable objective and parliament gave consent.

“The current military action on Yemen has none of these yet he supports it.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Mail On Sunday the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea show the world is “becoming more challenging” and is “probably the most unstable it has been in decades”.

“It is also more complex. My job is to make sure the British people are safe. Can we afford to do these things? We can’t afford not to,” he added.

Lord Cameron will be appearing on Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday Morning programme from 8.30am.

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Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

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Wes Streeting 'crossed the line' by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman

Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.

Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.

MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.

But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.

He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.

Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.

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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.

“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.

“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.

“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”

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Review into assisted dying costs

Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.

She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.

“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.

Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.

The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.

Britain's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband walks on Downing Street on the day of the budget announcement, in London, Britain October 30, 2024. REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
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Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters

Shabana Mahmood arrives 10 Downing Street.
Pic: Reuters
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Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters

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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.

Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.

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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill

The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.

MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.

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SEC crypto cases will be ‘dismissed or settled’ under Trump: Consensys CEO

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SEC crypto cases will be ‘dismissed or settled’ under Trump: Consensys CEO

The crypto industry is “going to save hundreds of millions of dollars” with Donald Trump as president, Consensys CEO Joe Lubin forecasts.

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‘Crypto Dad’ squashes rumors that he could replace Gensler as SEC Chair

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<div>'Crypto Dad' squashes rumors that he could replace Gensler as SEC Chair</div>

Former CFTC Acting Chair Chris Giancarlo said he’s “already cleaned up earlier Gary Gensler mess,” shooting down speculation he’d replace the SEC Chair.

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