Houthi missile hits US-owned ship off Yemen coast

1. Houthis in Yemen have hit a US-owned ship with a missile, but no injuries or significant damage have been reported
2. The vessel was hit "in response to strikes by the US and UK on Houthis in Yemen", a British maritime security firm says
3. The Houthis have attacked cargo ships since November. They say these are Israeli-affiliated - though the maritime security firm says there were no such links for this ship
4. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told reporters the UK would not hesitate to take further action against the Houthis to protect itself in the Red Sea
5. Addressing the House of Commons, Sunak said all 13 targets of the US-UK strikes had been hit, without any reports of civilian casualties
6. "We faced an escalating series of attacks ... including an attack on a Royal Navy warship," Sunak tells reporters, calling it "unacceptable"
7. Backed by Iran, the Houthis control a large part of Yemen, and are also key allies of Hamas in Gaza. They've vowed to continue attacks on ships bound for Israel

Thanks for joining us

That's the end of today's live coverage. Thanks for following our updates on the situation in Yemen following last week's UK-US strikes on Houthi positions in response to their strikes on commercial ships in the region.

You can read more about this story here:

• Who are the Houthis and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?
• What we know about strikes on Houthis and strategy behind them
• Yemen: US shoots down missile from Houthi-run area fired towards warship

Thank you and goodbye.

What has happened today?

We're going to be pausing our live coverage shortly. Here is a summary of today's main developments:

• The Houthis say they targeted an American ship off the coast of Yemen. US military confirmed that a US-owned ship was hit by a ballistic missile
• Earlier today, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told parliament that the UK-US attacks on Houthi positions last week to prevent further attacks on ships in the Red Sea had been "limited" and in "self defence"
• He stressed that there was no connection between the UK's military action and the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza

• Iran-backed Houthis are a political and military group in control of large parts of Yemen, and are also key allies of Hamas in Gaza
• They claim to be targeting Israeli-linked ships, however most appear to have no connection with the country

Should Sunak have consulted MPs before authorising airstrikes?

Harry Farley

Political correspondent

Earlier, the prime minister said he “remained committed to parliamentary convention” that, where possible, military action should be debated by MPs.

He said in this case, it would have affected the security of the operation to consult the House of Commons before the strikes.

So what are the rules?

In 2011 the-then government acknowledged “a convention exists” that MPs should be consulted. But convention does not mean obligation. The PM still has the power to launch military action without a debate in Commons.

Since 2011, MPs have sometimes voted on military action, and sometimes not.

Most famously in August 2013 the government was defeated on taking action against the Assad government in Syria over the use of chemical weapons. As a result, the action did not go ahead.

MPs also debated actions against ISIS in Iraq in September 2014 and on extending military action against ISIS in Syria in December 2015.

But MPs were not consulted in April 2018 when airstrikes were launched in Syria against the Assad government. And in January 2013 there was no vote on deploying military aircraft and personnel to support French troops in Mali, although they played no combat role there.

Sunak stressed no link between Houthi strikes and Gaza war

Harry Farley

Political correspondent

Rishi Sunak has been keen to stress there is “no linkage" between US-UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and the conflict in Israel-Gaza.

He wants to emphasise this is because the Houthis, who support Hamas in the group's war against Israel, claim their attacks are targeting ships with links to Israel.

The PM wants to avoid the airstrikes being seen as intervening in the war on the side of Israel.

He insisted the airstrikes were a “necessary and proportionate response” to Houthi attacks on shipping but some MPs are concerned the strikes risk escalating the conflict across the Middle East.

Labour MP Apsana Begum said: “Last week the government launched air strikes in the Red Sea in escalation of the situation in the Middle East."

In response, Sunak warned that “malign forces will look to distort what we’ve done".

“To conflate and link our action against the Houthis with the situation in Israel-Gaza just gives ammunition to our enemies who would seek to make things worse in the region.”

What's been happening in Israel and Gaza?

Reuters

A 70-year-old woman has been killed and 17 other people injured in what police say was a terrorist attack in Israel

As we've been reporting, the Houthis say they are targeting Israel-linked ships off the coast of Yemen. However for most of the ships attacked in the region, no such connection has been established.

The Houthis declare themselves to be part of the Iranian-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US and the wider West - along with Hamas and Hezbollah. Speaking earlier, a Houthi spokesperson said the group's demands were "for an end of Israeli attacks in Gaza".

As a reminder, Israel says its goal is "destroying Hamas's military and governing capabilities", as well as freeing the hostages.

Here's a look at the latest developments on the ground in Israel and Gaza.

• One person has been killed and at least 17 wounded in a car ramming attack in Israel in the central city of Raanana. Israeli police say two Palestinian suspects have been arrested
• An initial investigation by Israeli police suggests that they are relatives from Hebron in the occupied West Bank
• The French foreign ministry condemned the attack, saying two young French nationals were among the injured
• The incident comes as Israeli forces continue their offensive in Gaza, with AFP news agency reporting strikes in southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, as well as around Gaza City
• Hamas has released a new video claiming to show the bodies of two dead Israeli hostages in Gaza. The video shows a woman hostage, speaking under duress, saying the two men she had been held with had been killed while in captivity
• The Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has accused Hamas of using psychological abuse
• In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry says more than 100 people were killed today as Israel continues to target what it says are Hamas positions and personnel
• The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, has told the BBC that the situation in the north of the Gaza is extraordinarily desperate
• Rocket alerts have sounded again in southern Israeli communities close to the Gaza border as Hamas continues to target Israeli civilians

BreakingHouthi rebels claim attack on US-owned ship

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have claimed responsibility for the attack on a US-owned cargo ship off the south coast of Yemen earlier today.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree says the group's naval forces carried out a military operation targeting an American ship in the Gulf of Aden with missiles.

The spokesman also says that all US and British ships and warships taking part in the "aggression" against Yemen would be targets.

He adds that a response to "the American and British attacks is inevitably coming, and that any new attack will not remain without response and punishment".

BBC Verify

Shayan Sardarizadeh

Misinformation about Houthi vessel attack shared online

An old video of a cargo ship in flames is being shared widely on X, formerly Twitter, with false claims that it shows footage of today’s missile attack by the Houthis on a US-owned ship off the coast of Yemen.

The video has racked up over three million views on X after being shared by multiple accounts with large followings.

“Global war: US cargo ship hit by missile off the Yemeni coast”, tweeted one user on X, along with aerial footage of a big cargo ship engulfed in flames, while a rescue ship attempts to contain the fire.

BBC Verify has taken screengrabs of the video and reverse searched them to find the original clip.

The footage is in fact from 2021, and shows a Singaporean container ship off the coast of Sri Lanka, which caught fire after some of the chemical material on board exploded.

The incident was widely reported by the BBC and other new agencies at the time.

Despite attempts by the Sri Lankan navy to contain the fire, the vessel eventually sank after burning for 12 days.

BBC

This old image of a burning cargo ship near Sri Lanka was shared with the false claim that it was the US-owned ship attacked by the Houthis today

Houthi official says it will expand targets to include US ships

An official from the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group tells Al Jazeera news network it will expand its targets to include US ships.

"The ship doesn't necessarily have to be heading to Israel for us to target it; it is enough for it to be American," says Nasruldeen Amer, a spokesperson for the Houthis.

"The United States is on the verge of losing its maritime security," he adds.

Amer also says British and American ships had become "legitimate targets" due to the strikes launched by the two countries on Houthi targets in Yemen last week.

The Houthis have said they are attacking ships affiliated with Israel in protest at the conflict in Gaza, however commercial vessels with no connection to the country also appear to have been targeted.

Risk of rising inflation following attacks on ships, warns economist

A leading economist says inflation is at risk of rising again, following attacks on ships on a vital trade route through the Red Sea.

Mohamed El-Erian said while disruption to shipments was not as severe as during Covid, he warned it would push up prices and hit economic growth.

As we've been reporting, several shipping firms have stopped vessels using the Red Sea route after attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.

Others are now re-routing their vessels around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, which can add 12 days for cargo travelling between Singapore and northern Europe.

The delay could be even longer, as much as 18 days, for vessels sailing between Singapore to the east Mediterranean, according to Hapag-Lloyd, the shipping giant.

"I'm really worried," El-Erian told the BBC. "We are facing significant headwinds, we are living in a new reality where the supply side of the global economy is much more fragile which means inflationary tendencies are greater than they used to be."

• You can read the full story here.

Where is Yemen in relation to the Red Sea?

Global supply chains are facing severe disruption as a result of the world's biggest shipping companies diverting journeys away from the Red Sea.

Attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on commercial vessels have resulted in many firms deciding to avoid one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Ships usually take this route from the south to reach Egypt's Suez Canal further north.

But because of the attacks and the threat of future assaults, several of the world's largest shipping firms have diverted vessels away to a much longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope and then up the west side of the continent.

Here is a map showing Yemen, the port of Aden and the major shipping lanes in the Middle East.

• You can read about what the Red Sea assaults mean for global trade here.

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What's happening in the region?

EPA

Houthis held military exercises in al-Baqaa, Yemen, on Saturday

In the last hour we've been bringing you the debate from the UK Parliament. Let's now take a look at what's been happening in the region:

• US officials say the Houthis in Yemen have hit an American-owned ship with a missile, but no injuries or significant damage have been reported
• The vessel was hit "in response to strikes by the US and UK on Houthis in Yemen", a British maritime security firm says
• The Houthis have attacked cargo ships since November. They say these are Israeli-affiliated - though the maritime security firm, Ambrey, says there were no such links for this ship
• A Houthi spokesperson told Reuters news agency the Houthis would continue their attacks on ships "which are headed to Israel". He said the group's demands were for an end of Israeli attacks in Gaza
• As a result of the attacks, many of the world's biggest shipping companies have stopped vessels using the Red Sea route, with economists warning this could have a knock-on effect on inflation and consumer goods prices
• The Houthis are thought to receive weapons and support from Iran. Iran denies involvement in attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea

What has been said in the Commons so far

The debate in the House of Commons is still going on, and we will bring you the most important lines.

In the meantime, here is a recap of what has been said so far:

• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak began by saying that 13 Houthi launch sites were destroyed by the UK's military action last week
• He said the strikes were not discussed with parliament beforehand to protect the security of the operation
• He stated multiple times that the military action against the Houthis had nothing to do with the situation in Gaza
• Sunak added that doing nothing would have weakened regional security
• Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer agreed with the UK's action against the Houthis, but said future military interventions - especially sustained ones - should be brought before parliament
• Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey also stated his party's support, but said that the decision not to consult the house beforehand was "regrettable"

Sunak not ruling out further action

Harry Farley

Political correspondent

What is the government’s strategy in launching airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen? What are the next steps?

That was the essence of the question from the SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn.

It is notable that, in response, the prime minister did not rule out further strikes.

Rishi Sunak echoed the words of Defence Secretary Grant Shapps when he said the strikes were intended as a “single, limited action”.

But, when pressed on future military action, he added: “Of course we will not hesitate to protect our security, our people and our interests.”

House of Commons

Dame Priti Patel is up next. She says Yemen is already suffering a mass humanitarian crisis and asks what the prime minister will do to protect civilians there.

Sunak says the UK government is "steadfast" in its support to the Yemeni people and says the UK is "one of the largest donors of life-saving aid" to the UN appeal.

He says the government has committed £88m in the forthcoming year to provide food for at least 100,000 people in Yemen every month.

"The Yemeni people are suffering and we are doing everything we can to alleviate that suffering," he adds.

As a reminder, the eight year-long civil war has led to the deaths of thousands of Yemenis, and created a major humanitarian crisis.

Action against the Houthis is 'distinct' from Israel-Gaza conflict - Sunak

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey says his party supports the limited strikes against the Houthis, even if the lack of a vote beforehand was "regrettable".

He lists several recent attacks - against US soldiers in Iraq, by the so-called Islamic State in Iran, by Hezbollah on Israel and Israeli drone strikes in Beirut - and says that they all stem from the "horrifying conflict in Israel and Gaza".

How can the prime minister ensure that these strikes against the Houthis remain "limited", he asks?

Rishi Sunak responds by saying that he has been in touch with international partners about events in the Middle East. He stresses that it is important that no one takes away that the parliament believes the UK's strikes were linked to the fighting in Israel and Gaza - "they are entirely distinct", he says.

He adds that the UK will do everything to bring more aid into Gaza and to work towards an end to hostilities there.

Sunak says doing nothing would weaken international security

House of Commons

Back in the Commons, SNP leader Stephen Flynn asks what comes next for the UK since, he says, the Houthis' actions over the last 12 hours suggest "the message we sought to send has not been received".

"What is the plan?" he asks and "will he lay out how far he is willing to go in relation to military action?"

Sunak replies that he "won't speculate on future action". The strikes conducted last week were "a single limited action" and the UK will not hesitate to "protect our security and interests where required".

He says we should recognise the risks of inaction. Doing nothing, Sunak says, would would weaken international security and rule of law, and damage freedom of navigation and the global economy.

Sunak again also reiterates that there is no linkage between what was done by the UK last week and the conflict in Israel-Gaza.

Shipping firm confirms strike on vessel near Yemen

Away from the UK Parliament, we've received confirmation from operators of the affected ship that the vessel was struck off the coast of Yemen.

Eagle Bulk Shipping says the Gibraltar Eagle was hit by an "unidentified projectile" while about 100 miles (160km) offshore in the Gulf of Aden.

The firm says the vessel, which is carrying steel products, "suffered limited damage to a cargo hold but is stable and is heading out of the area". It adds that no-one was injured.

Sunak wants to see restoration of stability in the region

Rishi Sunak is now responding to Starmer's statement.

He begins by thanking the Labour leader for stating his support for the attacks against the Houthis. He says that the government's stated aim was to disrupt the Iran-backed group's ability to target ships in the Red Sea, and wants to see the restoration of stability on the region.

"It is incumbent on the Houthis not to escalate this," he says.

Sunak adds that it was necessary to strike quickly - before speaking to parliament - to protect the security of the operations. He assures the House that the government will continue to engage with its partners internationally, and says there are "maligning forces out there" who seek to distort the UK's intentions.

He says it is important that the UK's military actions are not linked to anything else - they were simply a response to the attacks on vessels by the Houthis.

House of Commons

Starmer goes on to say that more than a dozen agencies and others support the recent UN Security Council resolution which condemns the Houthis' attacks.

He says the UK strikes were "limited" and "targeted" and did everything possible to protect civilian lives. "That is a proportionate response," he says.

He then asks Sunak what confidence he has that his stated objectives have been met, what process he will follow in the face of continued attacks and how he will maintain the support of the international community.

He also asks Sunak whether he will stand by parliamentary convention that, where possible, military interventions by the UK government, especially if part of a sustained campaign, should be brought before the Commons.

"While we back the action taken last week, these strikes still do bring risk. We must avoid escalation across the Middle East," he finishes.

Starmer backs action in Red Sea and condemns Houthi attacks

House of Commons

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is on his feet and reiterates that his party backs the action in the Red Sea and "strongly condemns the Houthi attacks on shipment, putting civilian and military personnel in serious danger, including British forces."

He adds that Houthi attacks are unacceptable and illegal and adds that if they are left unaddressed, "they could lead to a devastating rise in the cost of food in some of the poorest countries".