Antony Blinken on Wednesday warned of ‘consequences’ if the Houthis in Yemen do not stop attacking ships in the Red Sea, and called on Iran to end their support for the rebels.
The Secretary of State was in Bahrain on Wednesday as part of his week-long tour aimed at working on the Middle East crisis. He has visited Israel and Saudi Arabia, and on Thursday will arrive in Egypt.
Blinken was asked about the continuing disruption to global shipping caused by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have been firing missiles at commercial vessels.
On Tuesday, the US Navy shot down 21 Houthi missiles and drones
‘I’m not going to telegraph or preview anything that might happen,’ said Blinken, speaking to reporters as he left Bahrain.
‘We’ve made clear, we’ve been clear with more than 20 other countries that if it continues, as it did yesterday, there will be consequences.’
Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, is seen on Wednesday on board his plane during his week-long Middle East trip
A ship is seen transiting the Suez Canal on Wednesday – a perilous journey thanks to Houthi bombardments
The Houthis, based in Yemen, have been firing rockets, drones and missiles north towards Israel, interrupting Red Sea shipping
He added: ‘We’ve also repeatedly tried to make clear to Iran, as other countries have, as well, that the support that they’re providing to the Houthis, including for these actions, needs to stop.’
The rebels say their assaults are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But their targets are increasingly random, raising the risk of a US retaliatory strike on Yemen.
The attacks are disrupting maritime trade through the Suez canal – a crucial route linking Europe with Asia and the Middle East – leading to delays and price rises for consumers.
The United States has set up a multinational naval task force to protect shipping from the attacks, which Blinken on Wednesday said were ‘aided and abetted’ by Iran.
The same day, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding ‘that the Houthis immediately cease all such attacks, which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security.’
A senior US official told CNN that they continue to speak with all parties to try and convince them to end the onslaught, and stress that their actions are not helping the Palestinian people or Yemenis.
The British defense secretary, Grant Shapps, warned Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea
Personnel onboard HMS Diamond shoot down drones fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
Personnel onboard HMS Diamond shoot down drones fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
HMS Diamond, a £1billion Type 45 destroyer known as the jewel of the Royal Navy, shot down the targets with a barrage of sea viper missiles – which travel three times the speed of sound
Personnel onboard HMS Diamond shoot down drones fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
Blinken said on Wednesday that, amid the efforts to prevent a regional conflict from spreading, it is ‘particularly important that we respond when we see something like the aggression coming from the Houthis.’
Grant Shapps, the British defense secretary, has also warned of consequences for the Houthis and on Wednesday told Sky News there was ‘no doubt’ Tehran was involved and providing weapons and intelligence.
‘Enough is enough,’ he said. ‘We must be clear with the Houthis that this has to stop and that is my simple message to them today: Watch this space’.
He also told reporters: ‘My understanding is that both the ship itself potentially was targeted … but also that there’s a generalized attack on all shipping (in the region).’