Blinken in Middle East as UK parliament debates Houthi strikes
Summary
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has landed in Saudi Arabia on his fifth trip to the Middle East since 7 October
- His visit comes after the US said it
What we learned from UK defence secretary
- We just heard UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps say the latest joint strikes with the US had achieved a “significant effect on degrading Houthi capabilities” in the Red Sea
- But he said the group’s abilities had “not been fully diminished”
- He said the UK would not hesitate to act again – reiterating that the aim was to protect vessels using the critical shipping route that links Europe and Asia
- Shapps said the Houthis believed themselves to be “the region’s Robin Hood”, though “the only people they are robbing are innocent Yemenis, whose food and aid arrives via the Red Sea”
- The UK’s main opposition party Labour said it supported the latest military action – as well as the government’s diplomatic efforts to pressurise the Houthis to stop their attacks
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