Mr Sunak made the announcement today (Picture: AFP)
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to announce that the UK will begin military strikes in Yemen after weeks of tensions in Red Sea.
In recent months, Houthi rebels in Yemen have been launching attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea – worrying Western leaders.
Mr Sunak called a cabinet meeting around 7:45pm after Defence Secretary Grant Shapps warned his message to the Iranian-backed group was ‘watch this space’ if disruption continues in the key global shipping route.
Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were seen entering No 10 shortly before 8pm, while Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey were to be briefed after the call.
The Prime Minister used a conversation with the Egyptian president earlier on Thursday to discuss the disruption and emphasise that Britain would continue to ‘take action to defend freedom of navigation and protect lives at sea’, No 10 said.
It came after a meeting with cabinet (Picture: AFP)
The Royal Navy warship HMS Richmond is on the way to help protect ships from Houthi attacks (Picture: SWNS)
And tensions have continued to increase, as Yemen’s Houthi leader threatened the US with an even ‘larger’ response than an attack in the Red Sea which narrowly avoided deadly consequences early on Wednesday thanks to UK missiles.
Houthi leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi began increasing attacks from the his rebel group in November, as part of what they describe as a protest against Israel’s bombardments on occupied Palestinian territory.
The Houthis have vowed to continue to ‘carry out their military operations against the Israeli enemy’.
The rebel group have also ‘implemented the decision to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Arab and Red Seas in support of the oppressed Palestinian people.’
The Houthis are a large clan originating from Yemen’s northwestern Saada province.
Houthi rebels have been behind recent attacks on shipping vessels (Picture: EPA)
They are regarded as an extremist movement that follows Zaydism, a branch is Shiite Islam. The Houthis have struggled to restore their influence in Yemen since the last Zaydi ruler was overthrown in 1962, after 1,000 years of Zaydi rule.
Mr Sunak’s announcement comes as today, Iran claimed responsibility for the seizure of an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after masked gunmen in military uniforms boarded the vessel.
Defence secretary Mr Shapps said earlier: ‘Be in no doubt at all, Iran is guiding what is happening there in the Red Sea, providing them not just with equipment to carry out those attacks but also often with the eyes and ears to allow those attacks to happen.
‘We must be clear with the Houthis that this has to stop and that is my simple message to them today, and watch this space.’
Sea Viper missiles were fired from a UK naval ship yesterday to deter Houthi strikes (Picture: AP)
Cabinet met late Thursday night (Picture: Reuters)
And yesterday, British and US forces repelled ‘the largest attack’ by Yemen-based Houthis in the Red Sea to date, putting the entire Middle East on its toes.
Backed by Iran, rebels fired 21 drones and missiles towards international shipping lanes, the US military’s Central Command said.
Rockets were heading towards the Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond, deployed by the UK to help protect shipping, as well as commercial vessels.
This is a developing news story, more to follow soon… Check back shortly for further updates.
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