A UK warship has joined a multinational naval force in the Red Sea to protect ships from attacks by Iran-backed militants – as Rishi Sunak hit out at those like Tehran who are looking to exploit the Israel-Hamas war to create further instability in the Middle East.
The HMS Diamond, one of the Royal Navy’s most advanced warships, has been mobilised in the southern Red Sea alongside French and American vessels as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a 10-nation-strong US-led taskforce.
Its role is to deter the Houthis – an ally of Hamas – from striking ships with ballistic missiles, with the UK warship having already shot down a suspected attack drone.
Ships have been targeted in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between Yemen and Djibouti, a vital shipping lane that connects Asia and Europe, accounting for around 11 per cent of global maritime trade.
The deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea has led oil giant BP and major container ship operator Maersk to pause sailing through the region, increasing costs and journey times and potentially pushing up fuel prices.
Mr Sunak told MPs at the liaison committee: “As a maritime nation, we’ve always believed very strongly in free and open shipping lanes, that is now being threatened by malign actors.”
The Houthis back Hamas in its war with Israel, but Mr Sunak suggested the activities in the Red Sea were part of a wider campaign by “malign forces” – understood to be a reference to Tehran’s activities in the region.
“This is not about the situation in Israel and Gaza,” Mr Sunak said. “This is about malign forces and the Houthis in particular taking advantage of the situation to try and escalate it.
“And that is having a real impact on the global economy and we are playing our part as part of a broader international coalition.”
There are concerns that extended routes, increased insurance costs to travel in the area, and the associated delays to supply chains could push up prices for consumers. Everything from petrol at the pump – which relies on the masses of oil that are shipped through the route – to goods like electronics, clothes, trainers and sports equipment is linked to trade via the Red Sea.
Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea— (Reuters)
Oil prices rose for a time around the announcements that some of the world’s biggest companies were pausing use of the Red Sea and are instead taking a much longer route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is another key energy source shipped through the route, and extended disruption could see wholesale energy prices rise. Although any increases would not feed through to domestic bills until April 2024 at the earliest.
The US military’s central command reported two more of the attacks on commercial vessels on Tuesday. A strike by an attack drone and a ballistic missile hit a tanker off Yemen, at roughly the same time a cargo ship reported an explosive detonating in the water near them, the military said.
Downing Street said the UK had a “clear-eyed” view of Tehran’s activities in the region, and said the deployment would send a clear message to Tehran about Iranian efforts to undermine security in the Middle East.
The PM’s official spokesperson said: “These are Iran-backed rebels and we know that Iran is actively seeking to undermine stability in the region. We are clear-eyed about that and that’s why we are acting alongside our allies to provide the necessary deterrence to protect commercial shipping.”
The Houthis had initially been targeting vessels bound for Israel but have since expanded their operations to target other ships. The US has claimed the Houthis have conducted more than 100 attacks using kamikaze drones and ballistic missiles, targeting 10 merchant vessels involving more than 35 different nations in recent weeks.
Operation Prosperity Guardian was announced by US defence secretary Lloyd Austin late on Monday and includes contributions from Bahrain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the Seychelles, alongside the warships from the UK, US and France. Downing Street also called on China to support efforts to protect shipping in the region, saying it was “in everyone’s interests” to protect trade routes.
On Tuesday morning, UK defence secretary Grant Shapps joined a virtual meeting with 20 other defence ministers to discuss the situation in the Red Sea, during which ministers agreed to work together on an international solution.
Houthi troopers take part in a protest in solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a— (EPA)
Mr Shapps described the Houthi attacks as an unacceptable threat to the global economy and said the UK would play a vital role in protecting shipping and vital trade routes in the Red Sea.
“This is an international problem that requires an international solution. That is why HMS Diamond has joined Operation Prosperity Guardian,” he said.
“This new task force will protect shipping and vital trade routes in the Red Sea, where large amounts of goods and oil transit through to Europe and on to the UK. Our Royal Navy personnel are protecting British interests in an increasingly contested part of the world.”
The task force forms part of the existing international Coalition Maritime Force, which is based in the Middle East and includes the Type 23 frigate HMS Lancaster, three mine-hunting vessels: HMS Bangor, HMS Chiddingfold and HMS Middleton; and the support ship RFA Cardigan Bay.
Commander Pete Evans, captain of HMS Diamond, which has a crew of 190, said: “The Royal Navy has always been committed to the protection of maritime trade and ensuring that both people and shipping remain safe in international waters.”
The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks. “Even if America succeeds in mobilising the entire world, our military operations will not stop... no matter the sacrifices it costs us,” said senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti on X/Twitter.
