On Thursday evening, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called an emergency cabinet meeting at short notice, something described in British media as an unusual move signaling a “moment of national importance.”
In the same vein, the Speaker of the British Parliament was also called in for talks with the Prime Minister. According to information to the British media, opposition leader Keir Starmer and his so-called shadow defense minister also received an invitation.
Several attacks on ships
The background to the meeting is the long series of attacks that the Huthi rebels in Yemen have directed against ships in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula recently.
As recently as Monday, British and American forces repelled a large-scale drone attack targeting the British warship HMS Diamond in the Red Sea. On Thursday, the situation escalated further when Iran, which supports the Huthi rebels, hijacked an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
Since then, many have wondered how Britain and the US, whose ships have also suffered several attacks, will respond. According to sources to several British media, incl The Guardian, BBC and The Times, a military counterattack against the group’s strongholds in Yemen is being considered. It should also have been the topic of Sunak’s meetings on Thursday evening.
However, neither the US nor the UK has yet confirmed that any such plans are in the works.
Worry about escalation
When Britain and the United States previously warned that the Huthi rebels’ actions will have consequences, the response from the rebel group has been that such “consequences” will be met with even more force.
At the same time, there is great concern that the conflict will not stop at the Huthi rebels. The situation in the region is already extremely tense due to the war between Israel and Hamas. Many therefore fear that British-American action in Yemen could be the final straw for the Huthi rebels’ allies in Iran.