By Matt Strudwick and Chris Matthews
Published: 7:39 p.m., January 11, 2024 | Updated: 00:30, January 12, 2024
US defense official says: 'We hit them hard'
A US defense official reportedly told Voice of America: “We hit them pretty hard, pretty good.”
First unconfirmed photo of explosions in Yemen
These images, which purport to show the moment rockets hit, were shared on X by freelance journalist Ali Al-Sakani.
US and UK bomb “more than a dozen locations”
The U.S. and Britain are bombing more than a dozen sites in a massive retaliatory strike with warship-launched Tomahawk missiles and warplanes, several U.S. officials told the Associated Press.
Associated Press journalists in the Yemeni capital Sanaa heard four explosions early Friday local time but saw no signs of warplanes.
Two residents of Hodieda, Amin Ali Saleh and Hani Ahmed, said they heard five powerful explosions. Hodieda lies on the Red Sea and is the largest port city controlled by the Houthis.
Yemeni freelance journalist Ali Al-Sakani said on X, formerly Twitter, that locals had told him that the attacks were aimed at Houthi positions in Sana'a, Saada, Dhamar and Hudaydah.
BREAKING: EXPLOSIONS heard in Yemen
The US and UK have begun bombing Yemen, with three explosions heard, Portal reports.
Three explosions were heard in Yemen's capital Sanaa
Yemen city on alert and Houthi camp evacuated
Three residents of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah told Portal the city had been on alert since Thursday evening due to a massive deployment of Houthi forces and military trucks on the move.
Houthi military sites and camps in Hodeida were also being evacuated, it said.
Who are the Houthi rebels taking over Yemen?
The Shiite militant group, like Hamas and Hezbollah, is allied with Tehran and seeks to reduce Western influence in the Middle East.
Its slogan includes the words “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” and “A Curse on the Jews.”
You can read more about the Houthi rebels below.
Breaking News: US Air Force jets seen flying over Saudi Arabia
Air Force reconnaissance aircraft were seen over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night. The Boeing RC-135 was spotted on Flight24 radar over Riyadh.
Tory MP: “Red Sea situation no longer tenable”
Tory MP and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Alicia Kearns says the situation in the Red Sea is no longer tenable.
She posted a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying Britain was on the verge of airstrikes in Yemen.
The airspace around Yemen is completely empty
The image below from Flightradar24 shows the completely empty airspace around Yemen before the impending airstrikes.
US President Joe Biden makes a statement
US President Joe Biden is expected to make a statement this evening after the US and Britain launched military strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The strikes are expected soon, followed by a series of statements from American, British and other international leaders, the Times reports.
Both the UK and US warned that there could be consequences if ships in the Red Sea were continually attacked.
Tesla will halt most car production at its factory near Berlin from Jan. 29 to Feb. 11, the company said Thursday, citing a shortage of components due to shifts in transportation routes caused by attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The partial production halt is evidence that the Red Sea crisis, sparked by Iran-backed Houthi fighters attacking ships in solidarity with the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas fighting Israel in the Gaza Strip, has hit Europe's largest economy has.
The US electric vehicle maker is the first company to announce a production pause due to the disruption. Many companies, including Geely, China's second-largest automaker by sales, and Swedish home furnishings group Ikea have warned of delays in deliveries.
“The armed conflicts in the Red Sea and the associated shifts in transport routes between Europe and Asia via the Cape of Good Hope also affect production in Grünheide,” Tesla said in a statement.
Read more from Portal here:
Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf has called for Parliament to be recalled.
He said: “The UK does not have a good record of military intervention in the Middle East.”
“It is therefore the duty to recall Westminster, brief MPs and give them the opportunity to debate and consider any decision on military action proposed by the British government.”
The SNP leader at Westminster, Stephen Flynn, also said MPs should be recalled and called the situation in the Red Sea “complex and serious”.
Regarding X, he wrote: “Based on media reports alone, this is clearly a very complex and serious situation that is developing rapidly.”
“It is incumbent on the British government to assess Parliament as quickly as possible and MPs must therefore be recalled to Westminster.”
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden leaves Downing Street
Oliver Dowden, Deputy Prime Minister, was pictured leaving Downing Street this evening.
Houthis are “merchants of chaos” and “do not operate by the same rules as the rest of us,” says a maritime security expert
Maritime security analyst Ian Ralby said the Houthi rebels were “merchants of chaos” and “didn't play by the same rules as the rest of us.”
He told Sky News: “The Houthis are merchants of chaos and are enjoying the attention they are getting.”
“This is a very dangerous moment…” [the Houthis] Don’t play by the same rules as the rest of us.”
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, leaves Downing Street
Iran could try to close the Strait of Gibraltar if Britain attacks the Houthis, says Major General Chip Chapman
Iran could try to make good on its threat to close the Strait of Gibraltar if the UK retaliates against Houthi rebels over drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a military expert has warned.
Major General Chip Chapman, a former head of counter-terrorism at the Ministry of Defence, told GB News: “One of the things that could be done… if you take the Houthis as one of their proxy forces.” [Iran]is that they said they could close the Strait of Gibraltar.
“You could say they don’t have the ability to do that, but they also have a proxy force with the Polisario Front in Morocco.”
“Although it may seem unlikely, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t happen.”
He added: “Essentially the Houthis would say this is part of the theater of war against the Israelis.”
“And from both their and Iranian perspectives, this is a unity of fronts and a ring of fire around the Israelis.”
The government is considering strikes on targets in Yemen to stop attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held an emergency Cabinet meeting on Thursday evening as the situation appeared to escalate.
A British warship joined three U.S. ships and a French ship last month to protect the vessels in a narrow strip of water between Yemen and East Africa that is a key trade route, but attacks continued.
These are the ships that were deployed following Thursday evening's developments and which may still be sent there:
Sir Lindsay Hoyle arrives at the Cabinet Office
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, was seen entering the Cabinet Office where he was briefed in the last 30 minutes.
“There are no more defensive options”
Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) think tank said: “It looks like things are coming to a head.”
There are no longer any defensive options that could convince these companies to return to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman. This requires a cessation of hostilities.
Attack options could include airstrikes on military infrastructure in Yemen. Eight years ago, the United States destroyed a Houthi radar station that was apparently used to coordinate attacks on one of their ships.
Breaking news: Stealth jets are being made operational
The Mail understands that F-35B Lightning stealth aircraft based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus are operational.
These aircraft were expected to play a key role in the airstrikes expected to target Houthi rocket launcher sites and command and control facilities.
British drones equipped with the deadly RX-9 were also presumably prepared.
(Below is an archive image of an F-35B Lightning Fighter Jet)
Why are the Houthis targeting shipping vessels?
The rebels say their attacks are aimed at stopping Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But their targets are becoming increasingly random, increasing the risk of a US retaliatory strike against Yemen.
Britain moved warships to the Red Sea
Britain has deployed its warships to the Red Sea in recent days.
The Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond left Gibraltar yesterday amid a troop surge in the region between Africa and Arabia.
Admiral Lord West, the former First Sea Lord, said Britain and the US must show “enough is enough” after drones and missiles launched by the Arab state were shot down by the HMS Diamond and American warships.
Sir Keir Starmer is briefed by the government
Sky News reports that the government will brief Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer after the virtual Cabinet meeting.
Breaking News: US and UK “Conduct Military Action TONIGHT”
The US and UK are poised to carry out airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as early as this evening – targeting the ballistic sites where the rebels have fired missiles.
Lord Cameron: “Situation in the Red Sea is dangerous”
Lord Cameron spoke on Monday about the situation in the Red Sea, which he described as “extremely dangerous”.
Sunak spoke to the Egyptian President today
Downing Street has just released details of a phone call Mr Sunak had this afternoon with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the increase in Houthi attacks.
A Downing Street spokesman said the prime minister had told him “the UK will continue to take action to defend freedom of navigation and protect life at sea”.
The two leaders discussed the increase in Houthi attacks, the spokesman told The Telegraph, and the disruptive impact on global shipping.
The Prime Minister thanked President Sisi for his continued support of humanitarian and diplomatic efforts in Gaza, including joint work to secure the release of British hostages and those with ties to the United Kingdom.
They agreed on the importance of significantly increasing aid to Palestinians in Gaza to prevent the humanitarian crisis from worsening. The prime minister said the UK was pushing Israel to open more land crossings and allow far larger quantities of aid, up to 500 trucks a day.
Houthi attacks could cause Tesco prices to rise
The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are having a severe impact on ships carrying cargo and shipping companies are subsequently rerouting their routes around South Africa.
Tesco boss Ken Murphy warned this could have a domino effect on the prices of some goods.
Houthis “carried out 27 attacks in the Red Sea”
According to US Central Command, the Houthis have carried out 27 attacks in the Red Sea since November 19.
They said the rebels' latest attack came around 2 a.m. today (Yemen time) when they fired an anti-ship ballistic missile “from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden.”
A ship saw the missile hit the water. No one was injured and no damage was reported.
Grant Shapps says “enough is enough”
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps spoke yesterday about the ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
You can hear what he said in the video below.
“It is important that there is a vote in Parliament”
The UK's only Palestinian MP, Layla Moran, says it is vital there is a vote in Parliament if Britain plans a military strike.
Sunak is ready to sign military action
The Cabinet was expected to approve military retaliation tonight against Iran-backed rebels terrorizing shipping in the Red Sea.
Rishi Sunak called an emergency Cabinet meeting at 7.45pm to brief ministers on expected nightly air strikes against Houthi rebels operating from Yemen.
Downing Street declined to comment ahead of what is expected to be a significant military operation led by the United States.
However, Whitehall sources confirmed that the prime minister is prepared to authorize military retaliation against the Houthis, who have carried out a series of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea in recent weeks.
The plans were finalized today following meetings of the Prime Minister's National Security Council and the Cobra Emergency Committee.
“There is a risk that we will get into a conflict with Iran”
Sir William Patey, the former British ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Iraq, told Sky News the airstrikes could spark a conflict between Britain and Iran.
Ultimately, the greatest danger is that we will end up in a conflict with Iran because the Houthis are not acting on their own, but as agents of Iran.
The West is planning airstrikes in response to attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
David Cameron is seen heading to Downing Street
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron was seen entering 10 Downing Street just before the meeting.
Rishi Sunak holds emergency meeting
Hello and welcome to our live coverage as Rishi Sunak is about to hold an emergency meeting with his Cabinet.
The prime minister is expected to plan a response with his members to Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea.
Yemen LIVE: Explosions have been reported in cities like Sanaa after US Air Force reconnaissance planes were spotted in the Middle East
