The Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond is to join the international task force protecting ships that travel through the Red Sea, after a spate of attacks by Houthi militia.
The UK said its move was in response to the deteriorating security situation in the region.
On Monday, Joe Biden’s defence secretary Lloyd Austin announced US ships will join with vessels from the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain as part of a new American-led multi-national naval force.
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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told the Cabinet that “malign actors were seeking to exploit the situation in the Middle East for their own ends”.
He told ministers that Houthi attacks have “led to several companies suspending passage through the area”, and added that “the UK has always stepped up to protect free trade and HMS Diamond and HMS Lancaster were in the region to provide necessary deterrence”.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps also said in a statement: “These illegal attacks are an unacceptable threat to the global economy, undermining regional security and are threatening to drive up fuel prices.
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“This is an international problem that requires an international solution. That is why HMS Diamond has joined Operation Prosperity Guardian.
“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. Their valuable contribution to upholding peace and security should not be underestimated and we thank…
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2023-12-19 11:57:00
Sky News is a British 24-hour information television channel, the first in Europe of its kind, launched on February 5, 1989 by the British Sky Broadcasting Company.