UK may strike Houthi drone sites within days in blow to Iran ambitions | Politics | News

British forces could strike Houthi drone bases in Yemen within the week, following a decision in Whitehall to offer commanders a tentative green light for action.

The plans – first revealed by the Sunday Express two weeks ago – represent an ambitious multi-platform operation involving UK Special Forces, the Royal Navy and the RAF.

It follows a final warning by the US, UK and ten other states to rebels in Yemen that they will face serious consequences if they continue to ambush commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Defence secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that Britain would “not hesitate to take necessary and proportionate action”.

Houthi leader Abdel -Malek al-Houthi has responded by warning that his fighters – currently targeting Israeli sea traffic in support of Hamas in Gaza – will extend attacks to Western shipping if this happens.

Many drone sites have already been identified inside the war-torn country, and their details have been passed to commanders at the Akrotiri air base in Cyprus where, last night, RAF Typhoons armed with Paveway missiles were on standby.

But, with Houthis now adopting more mobile tactics favoured by Iran, Britain is more reliant than ever on intelligence sources inside Yemen to keep commanders updated as to their changing locations.

The Royal Navy’s Type-45-destroyer HMS Diamond, currently in the region, can also deploy its Sampson multi function radar system to trace the origin of drone launches.

The plan will now also meet the challenge of the Houthis sea attack drones. It follows last week’s game changing detonation of a so-called Unscrewed Surface Vessel (USV) packed with explosives.

A mixed Special Forces team drawn from the SAS and SBS has already been deployed to the US base in Djibouti, which sits on the opposite side of the edge of Bab al-Mandab, from which Houthis have launched some of their 20 or so attacks.

The 80-strong SF team includes bomb disposal experts, linguists, comms experts and medics.

Its main role, sources say, will be to use mini-submersibles to strike Yemen and Iranian motherships carrying sea drones packed with explosives.

The primary site is understood to be Mokha, south of the main port at Al-Hudaydad.

The use by Houthis of unmanned drones packed with explosives has already been identified as a main concern by Admiral Brad Cooper, who heads the maritime task force Operation Prosperity Guardian.

“Fortunately, there were no casualties and no ships were hit, but the introduction of a one-way attack USV is of concern,” he said.

Attacks against Red Sea commercial shipping are just the latest in a series of regionally destabilising events which can all trace their origins to Iran.

As well as Houthi rebels, Tehran has also been attempting to drive Hezbollah in Lebanon to escalate attacks and join Hamas directly in the fight against Israel.

Speaking last night regional expert Catherine Perez-Shakdam, of the ACLS think tank, said: “The events which are unfolding across the region are transparently part of Iran’s overall ambition to destabilise Sunni Muslims in the Arab world and establish its Shi’a Crescent of power.”

She said last week’s assassination by the US of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut was deliberately facilitated by Iran to ignite tensions.

“The regime ordered him to flee to Lebanon because they knew he could not be protected there. He had no choice. And that is why Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s secretary general, fled to the safety of Iran before making his speech.”

She added: “In Lebanon, Hezbollah has risen from a shadowy military group to a branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which exerts much power, controlling all major ports into the country. But, despite a parliamentary presence, it does not control Lebanon politically.”

“Iran wants Lebanon to start a war with Israel, because it believes the chaos this will create internally will lead to Hezbollah gaining the upper hand politically, like Hamas in Gaza.”

Regionally, only Egypt and Saudi Arabia stand in Iran’s way, she said, adding: “Both are waiting to see whether the US leads attacks on Houthi drone sites. They need to see that beyond his rhetoric, President Biden is still present in the region and willing to act.”

“If this happens, it will give Iran a sign that the US means business, and you will see Saudi Arabia restore its relations with Israel.”