UK defence secretary: Iran connection to Houthis 'very clear'
One of the last questions Grant Shapps is asked covers how Iran has responded to the strikes by US and UK forces on Houthi targets in Yemen.
"We see that the connection [between Iran and the Houthis] is very clear," the UK defence secretary tells those watching his speech at Lancaster House in central London.
Iran's government in Tehran is suspected of supplying the Houthis with weapons, and the US says Iranian intelligence is critical to enabling them to target ships.
But when pushed on what Iran has said, Shapps declines to share that information.
We're going to leave the UK defence secretary's first major speech in the role there.
US and UK gave Houthi 'every possible warning' to desist, Shapps says
Shapps is now taking questions from the media - beginning with the BBC's Jonathan Beale, who asks whether the UK plans to take military action against the Houthis
again.
Britain is a "guardian of international free trade," the cabinet minister replies, saying again that the government will now “monitor [the situation] very carefully” to see
what the Houthis do next.
He says the ships being attacked in the Red Sea have “nothing to do with the Israel-Gaza conflict” - despite the Houthis repeatedly claiming they are targeting vessels heading to, or owned by, Israel, as an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Shapps also says that American and British officials gave the Iranian-backed Houthis “every possible warning to cease and desist”, with “direct and indirect” messaging.
The attacks are “unacceptable” and “cannot continue”, he says, repeating some of what he said in his speech.
'Enough was enough' - Shapps on UK decision to strike Houthis in Yemen
BBCCopyright: BBC
Despite the US, UK and 10 other states issuing a joint statement, warning the Houthis against attacking shipping vessels in the Red Sea, Grant Shapps says the rebel group "chose to ignore it".
"And enough was enough," he tells defence officials, MPs and journalists about the UK's decision to join US strikes on Houthi locations in Yemen.
He and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chose to authorise the strikes, without a debate in Parliament, Shapps says, and the "result is the Houthis have been dealt a blow".
Shapps wraps this into the wider message of his speech by saying this, as well as UK support of Ukraine, is the blueprint of how the UK must lead in the future:
Quote Message: Offering our unwavering support to our allies, and in times of struggle, galvanising global response to any malign actors seeking to break the rules-based international order."
Offering our unwavering support to our allies, and in times of struggle, galvanising global response to any malign actors seeking to break the rules-based international order."
UK and US support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen
While we listen in to UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, it's worth remembering that these latest strikes in Yemen are not the first time the US and UK have been involved in action in the country.
In 2014, the Iranian-backed Houthis took advantage of the turmoil in Yemen, after a popular uprising, and seized control of the north-west of the country.
Saudi Arabia began an air campaign aimed at ousting the Houthis with some other Arab states in 2015.
The coalition received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France.
The Saudi-led bombing campaign has killed around 20,000 people, about half of them children, according to the UN.
.Copyright: .
Shapps' first major defence speech
Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent reporting from Lancaster House
BBCCopyright: BBC
The room is full for Grant Shapps' first major speech on defence.
All his defence chiefs are in the audience as well as defence experts, MPs and journalists.
UK defence secretary speaking in London
We've heard already from UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps this morning, but he's now making a speech at Lancaster House in central London.
He's set to focus more broadly on his vision for UK defence in a "more dangerous world", but we'll bring you anything relevant he says to the situation in the Middle East.
The BBC's Jonathan Beale is also in the room, so look out for his updates.
If you want to watch the speech in full, tap the Play button at the top of this page.
Houthis silent on missile launch towards US warship
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Supporters of the rebel group partook in a protest against US-UK strikes near Sanaa, Yemen's capital, yesterdayImage caption: Supporters of the rebel group partook in a protest against US-UK strikes near Sanaa, Yemen's capital, yesterday
Let's get back to Yemen and what's happening in the Red Sea. As we reported earlier, the US military has said one of its fighter jets shot
down an anti-cruise missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen towards a US Navy
destroyer operating in the southern Red Sea yesterday afternoon.
Houthi officials, including the group’s military
spokesman, have not so far commented.
But spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on X, formerly
Twitter, last night that “US aggression against Yemen” - a reference to the
recent US and British missile strikes on Houthi targets in response to
their attacks on commercial shipping - would not deter Houthi forces from “fulfilling
their religious, humanitarian, and moral commitment to support the Palestinian
people”.
“This includes the ongoing targeting of Israeli ships
heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression ceases and the
siege on Gaza is lifted,” he said.
The Houthis - avowed enemies of the US and Israel - claim
to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels in protest at Israel's war against Hamas
in Gaza.
They have warned that their response to the strikes in Yemen will be “strong
and effective”.
Gaza death toll surpasses 24,000
Before we return to the situation in Yemen, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has just published the latest figures showing how many people have been killed in the enclave since the war began.
At least 24,100 people are now known to be dead, it says, adding that more than 100 have been killed in the last day. BBC Verify previously looked at how the dead are counted in Gaza, which you can read here.
Fighting erupted on 7 October after Hamas crossed the border and launched attacks on Israel - killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds more hostage, according to the latest figures from officials.
Since then, Israel has launched daily strikes in retaliation - apart from a brief week-long ceasefire towards the end of last year.
Correction 13 February: This post wrongly reported that about
1,300 people had been killed following the 7 October attack by Hamas. This
was based on counting those who later died from their injuries in addition to
the figure of more than 1,200. The article has been amended to now refer to
about 1,200 deaths, a figure which includes those deaths and which Israel says
is not final.
'There's nothing comfortable about this war'
While talking to our colleagues over on the Today programme, Grant Shapps also marks the fact that it's been 101 days since the war between Hamas in Gaza and Israel began.
Asked if, looking at all the destruction and loss of life, he remains confident and comfortable about the way the war is being waged, the UK defence secretary says "there is nothing comfortable about this war".
No one can look at what's happening without feeling "unbelievably upset and uncomfortable," he tells the BBC's Mishal Hussain, adding:
Quote Message: It's really, really important that this is brought to a conclusion."
It's really, really important that this is brought to a conclusion."
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
The war between Hamas and Israel rages on - a Palestinian man in Rafah, southern Gaza, sits among the rubble of a destroyed buildingImage caption: The war between Hamas and Israel rages on - a Palestinian man in Rafah, southern Gaza, sits among the rubble of a destroyed building
UK will 'wait and see' if Houthis respond to strikes - defence secretary
We're hearing from UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps again now - this time on Radio 4's Today programme.
He's asked about the situation in the Middle East and says the UK will "wait and see" if the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen respond to strikes launched by the US and UK over the weekend.
Asked if the UK has the capability to keep getting involved in the situation, Shapps says "yes absolutely" - and "we will always stand up for the freedom of navigation in international waters".
But pushed on whether the UK will in fact launch fresh military action, he says "I rather hope we don't need to".
As we've been reporting, prominent Houthi supporter Hussain Al-Bukhaiti told the BBC on Sunday that fighters would target US and UK battleships if strikes on Yemen continued.
Who are the Houthis?
Houthi forces have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, launching more than 100 drone and missile attacks on vessels passing through the vital shipping lane.
The Iranian-backed rebel group controls a large part of Yemen and has previously claimed its attacks are directed at vessels linked to Israel, in response to the war in Gaza.
Their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea have led many of the world's biggest shipping companies to announce they will avoid the area. Just this morning, oil company QatarEnergy announced its decision to pause shipping via the route to seek security advice.
In response, the US and UK have launched strikes aimed at degrading the military capability of the Houthis, hitting nearly 30 locations in Yemen on Friday alone. The US followed up on Saturday with another strike on a Houthi radar site.
Houthi harassment causing real problems - UK defence secretary
BBCCopyright: BBC
Grant Shapps, the UK's defence secretary, is speaking to our colleagues over on BBC Breakfast and says Britain "needed to act" over Yemen.
He says the UK chose to engage in military action because traffic through the Red Sea was being "harassed by the Iranian-backed Houthis", which he adds was "causing real problems for international maritime traffic, and there's a right of freedom of navigation".
Shapps says the decision was made not to hold a parliamentary debate on whether to take military action in Yemen precisely because it would have "provided too much information and detail" to the Houthis.
As we reported in our last post, UK PM Rishi Sunak is under fire from some opposition MPs for authorising strikes without consulting Parliament.
UK prime minister to face questions on Yemen
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
In the UK, we're expecting to hear from PM Rishi Sunak later today - he'll be speaking to the British MPs (members of Parliament) for the first time since the UK joined the US in striking Houthi targets in Yemen.
He'll make a statement in the House of Commons - the UK Parliament - explaining the government's reasoning for getting involved. MPs will then be able to ask questions.
The PM authorised the action without consulting Parliament, prompting criticism from some in opposition.
As always, we'll bring you coverage of what he says when the time comes. We're not expecting him to speak until this afternoon.
A timeline of the Houthi conflict
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A Houthi military helicopter flies over a ship in the Red SeaImage caption: A Houthi military helicopter flies over a ship in the Red Sea
7 October 2023: Hamas attacks Israel, killing 1,200 and taking hundreds of others hostage. Israel then launches a retaliatory campaign, which is still going on today and has so far killed more than 23,000
14 November 2023: The Houthis, having announced their support for Hamas, vow to target Israeli-linked ships travelling through the Red Sea
19 November 2023: A cargo ship is hijacked by the Houthis - by this point, Houthis have already fired several missiles and drones towards Israel, all intercepted by US warships in the region
15 December 2023: A number of major shipping companies, including Maersk, announce they are pausing all journeys through the Red Sea
31 December 2023: US Navy helicopters sink three Houthi speed boats during an attempted attack on a container ship
3 January 2024: The US, UK and 10 other states issue a joint statement warning the Houthis they will face consequences if they continue the attacks
10 January 2024: The UN Security Council passes a resolution demanding an immediate end to the Houthi attacks. At this stage, the Houthis have launched more than 20 attacks on ships
11 January 2024: The US and UK repel a large attack in the Red Sea and hint at military action
12 January 2024: The US and UK carry out air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting more than 16 sites
14 January 2024: The US military shoots down a missile it says was fired towards one of its warships from a Houthi area of Yemen
US military shoots down missile fired towards its ship
US NavyCopyright: US Navy
The US says the missile was fired towards the USS Laboon, seen here in a file photoImage caption: The US says the missile was fired towards the USS Laboon, seen here in a file photo
The latest update to this animosity has come from the US military, which reported late last night that it had shot down a missile fired towards one of its warships from a Houthi-run area of Yemen.
The anti-ship cruise missile - reportedly fired towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea - was downed off the coast of Hudaydah by a US fighter aircraft.
No injuries or damage were reported.
Prominent Houthi supporter Hussain Al-Bukhaiti told the BBC on Sunday that fighters would target US and UK battleships if strikes on Yemen continued.
US-UK-Houthi tensions continue
Sam Hancock
Live reporter
Welcome back to our live coverage of the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, where the US military now says it has shot down a missile fired towards one of its warships from a Houthi-run area.
The Houthis - a political and military group in control of a large part of Yemen - have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea since November. And since late last week, the US and UK began firing back and have hit around 30 Houthi locations inside the country, including arms depots and air defence systems.
Senior US and UK politicians have said they're prepared to take further action to protect the free flow of international commerce, which has been affected by the strikes.
In London, we're due to hear from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak later today - he'll be talking to British MPs for the first time since Britain joined the US-led strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Another busy day, but stay with us for live updates and analysis as we bring you all the latest right here on this page.
Live Reporting
Edited by Emily McGarvey and Nadia Ragozhina
All times stated are UK
UK defence secretary: Iran connection to Houthis 'very clear'
One of the last questions Grant Shapps is asked covers how Iran has responded to the strikes by US and UK forces on Houthi targets in Yemen.
"We see that the connection [between Iran and the Houthis] is very clear," the UK defence secretary tells those watching his speech at Lancaster House in central London.
Iran's government in Tehran is suspected of supplying the Houthis with weapons, and the US says Iranian intelligence is critical to enabling them to target ships.
But when pushed on what Iran has said, Shapps declines to share that information.
We're going to leave the UK defence secretary's first major speech in the role there.
US and UK gave Houthi 'every possible warning' to desist, Shapps says
Shapps is now taking questions from the media - beginning with the BBC's Jonathan Beale, who asks whether the UK plans to take military action against the Houthis again.
Britain is a "guardian of international free trade," the cabinet minister replies, saying again that the government will now “monitor [the situation] very carefully” to see what the Houthis do next.
He says the ships being attacked in the Red Sea have “nothing to do with the Israel-Gaza conflict” - despite the Houthis repeatedly claiming they are targeting vessels heading to, or owned by, Israel, as an act of solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Shapps also says that American and British officials gave the Iranian-backed Houthis “every possible warning to cease and desist”, with “direct and indirect” messaging.
The attacks are “unacceptable” and “cannot continue”, he says, repeating some of what he said in his speech.
'Enough was enough' - Shapps on UK decision to strike Houthis in Yemen
Despite the US, UK and 10 other states issuing a joint statement, warning the Houthis against attacking shipping vessels in the Red Sea, Grant Shapps says the rebel group "chose to ignore it".
"And enough was enough," he tells defence officials, MPs and journalists about the UK's decision to join US strikes on Houthi locations in Yemen.
He and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chose to authorise the strikes, without a debate in Parliament, Shapps says, and the "result is the Houthis have been dealt a blow".
Shapps wraps this into the wider message of his speech by saying this, as well as UK support of Ukraine, is the blueprint of how the UK must lead in the future:
UK and US support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen
While we listen in to UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, it's worth remembering that these latest strikes in Yemen are not the first time the US and UK have been involved in action in the country.
In 2014, the Iranian-backed Houthis took advantage of the turmoil in Yemen, after a popular uprising, and seized control of the north-west of the country.
Saudi Arabia began an air campaign aimed at ousting the Houthis with some other Arab states in 2015.
The coalition received logistical and intelligence support from the US, UK and France.
The Saudi-led bombing campaign has killed around 20,000 people, about half of them children, according to the UN.
Shapps' first major defence speech
Jonathan Beale
Defence correspondent reporting from Lancaster House
The room is full for Grant Shapps' first major speech on defence.
All his defence chiefs are in the audience as well as defence experts, MPs and journalists.
UK defence secretary speaking in London
We've heard already from UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps this morning, but he's now making a speech at Lancaster House in central London.
He's set to focus more broadly on his vision for UK defence in a "more dangerous world", but we'll bring you anything relevant he says to the situation in the Middle East.
The BBC's Jonathan Beale is also in the room, so look out for his updates.
If you want to watch the speech in full, tap the Play button at the top of this page.
Houthis silent on missile launch towards US warship
Let's get back to Yemen and what's happening in the Red Sea. As we reported earlier, the US military has said one of its fighter jets shot down an anti-cruise missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen towards a US Navy destroyer operating in the southern Red Sea yesterday afternoon.
Houthi officials, including the group’s military spokesman, have not so far commented.
But spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam wrote on X, formerly Twitter, last night that “US aggression against Yemen” - a reference to the recent US and British missile strikes on Houthi targets in response to their attacks on commercial shipping - would not deter Houthi forces from “fulfilling their religious, humanitarian, and moral commitment to support the Palestinian people”.
“This includes the ongoing targeting of Israeli ships heading to the ports of occupied Palestine until the aggression ceases and the siege on Gaza is lifted,” he said.
The Houthis - avowed enemies of the US and Israel - claim to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels in protest at Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
They have warned that their response to the strikes in Yemen will be “strong and effective”.
Gaza death toll surpasses 24,000
Before we return to the situation in Yemen, the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has just published the latest figures showing how many people have been killed in the enclave since the war began.
At least 24,100 people are now known to be dead, it says, adding that more than 100 have been killed in the last day. BBC Verify previously looked at how the dead are counted in Gaza, which you can read here.
Fighting erupted on 7 October after Hamas crossed the border and launched attacks on Israel - killing 1,200 people and taking hundreds more hostage, according to the latest figures from officials.
Since then, Israel has launched daily strikes in retaliation - apart from a brief week-long ceasefire towards the end of last year.
Correction 13 February: This post wrongly reported that about 1,300 people had been killed following the 7 October attack by Hamas. This was based on counting those who later died from their injuries in addition to the figure of more than 1,200. The article has been amended to now refer to about 1,200 deaths, a figure which includes those deaths and which Israel says is not final.
'There's nothing comfortable about this war'
While talking to our colleagues over on the Today programme, Grant Shapps also marks the fact that it's been 101 days since the war between Hamas in Gaza and Israel began.
Asked if, looking at all the destruction and loss of life, he remains confident and comfortable about the way the war is being waged, the UK defence secretary says "there is nothing comfortable about this war".
No one can look at what's happening without feeling "unbelievably upset and uncomfortable," he tells the BBC's Mishal Hussain, adding:
UK will 'wait and see' if Houthis respond to strikes - defence secretary
We're hearing from UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps again now - this time on Radio 4's Today programme.
He's asked about the situation in the Middle East and says the UK will "wait and see" if the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen respond to strikes launched by the US and UK over the weekend.
Asked if the UK has the capability to keep getting involved in the situation, Shapps says "yes absolutely" - and "we will always stand up for the freedom of navigation in international waters".
But pushed on whether the UK will in fact launch fresh military action, he says "I rather hope we don't need to".
As we've been reporting, prominent Houthi supporter Hussain Al-Bukhaiti told the BBC on Sunday that fighters would target US and UK battleships if strikes on Yemen continued.
Who are the Houthis?
Houthi forces have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, launching more than 100 drone and missile attacks on vessels passing through the vital shipping lane.
The Iranian-backed rebel group controls a large part of Yemen and has previously claimed its attacks are directed at vessels linked to Israel, in response to the war in Gaza.
Their attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea have led many of the world's biggest shipping companies to announce they will avoid the area. Just this morning, oil company QatarEnergy announced its decision to pause shipping via the route to seek security advice.
In response, the US and UK have launched strikes aimed at degrading the military capability of the Houthis, hitting nearly 30 locations in Yemen on Friday alone. The US followed up on Saturday with another strike on a Houthi radar site.
Houthi harassment causing real problems - UK defence secretary
Grant Shapps, the UK's defence secretary, is speaking to our colleagues over on BBC Breakfast and says Britain "needed to act" over Yemen.
He says the UK chose to engage in military action because traffic through the Red Sea was being "harassed by the Iranian-backed Houthis", which he adds was "causing real problems for international maritime traffic, and there's a right of freedom of navigation".
Shapps says the decision was made not to hold a parliamentary debate on whether to take military action in Yemen precisely because it would have "provided too much information and detail" to the Houthis.
As we reported in our last post, UK PM Rishi Sunak is under fire from some opposition MPs for authorising strikes without consulting Parliament.
UK prime minister to face questions on Yemen
In the UK, we're expecting to hear from PM Rishi Sunak later today - he'll be speaking to the British MPs (members of Parliament) for the first time since the UK joined the US in striking Houthi targets in Yemen.
He'll make a statement in the House of Commons - the UK Parliament - explaining the government's reasoning for getting involved. MPs will then be able to ask questions.
The PM authorised the action without consulting Parliament, prompting criticism from some in opposition.
As always, we'll bring you coverage of what he says when the time comes. We're not expecting him to speak until this afternoon.
A timeline of the Houthi conflict
US military shoots down missile fired towards its ship
The latest update to this animosity has come from the US military, which reported late last night that it had shot down a missile fired towards one of its warships from a Houthi-run area of Yemen.
The anti-ship cruise missile - reportedly fired towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea - was downed off the coast of Hudaydah by a US fighter aircraft.
No injuries or damage were reported.
Prominent Houthi supporter Hussain Al-Bukhaiti told the BBC on Sunday that fighters would target US and UK battleships if strikes on Yemen continued.
US-UK-Houthi tensions continue
Sam Hancock
Live reporter
Welcome back to our live coverage of the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea, where the US military now says it has shot down a missile fired towards one of its warships from a Houthi-run area.
The Houthis - a political and military group in control of a large part of Yemen - have been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea since November. And since late last week, the US and UK began firing back and have hit around 30 Houthi locations inside the country, including arms depots and air defence systems.
Senior US and UK politicians have said they're prepared to take further action to protect the free flow of international commerce, which has been affected by the strikes.
In London, we're due to hear from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak later today - he'll be talking to British MPs for the first time since Britain joined the US-led strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Another busy day, but stay with us for live updates and analysis as we bring you all the latest right here on this page.