Cameron talks to Iranian counterpart as Shapps condemns Houthi attacks
Four boats from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired at the Maersk Hangzhou and got within metres of the vessel as US helicopters fired back, the US military said.
Lord Cameron has told Iran’s foreign minister that the country shares responsibility for preventing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea after the US said its navy sank three boats targeting a container ship.
Four boats from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen fired at the Maersk Hangzhou and got within metres of the vessel as US helicopters fired back, the US military said.
Several of the armed boat crews were killed, the US Central Command (Centcom) said. No-one was injured on the ship.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the UK Foreign Secretary said he had spoken to Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on New Year’s Eve about the attacks “which threaten innocent lives and the global economy”.
“I made clear that Iran shares responsibility for preventing these attacks given their long-standing support to the Houthis,” Lord Cameron said.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps condemned what he described as an “outrageous” bid to disrupt global trade.
“This morning’s atrocious attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis were an unacceptable and outrageous act designed to destabilise global trade,” he said in a post on the social media platform.
“The Houthis must end their illegal campaign against merchant shipping and stop all violent attacks immediately.”
The Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhou reported that it had already been hit by a missile on Saturday night while transiting the Southern Red Sea and requested assistance, Centcom said in a statement.
In another statement, Centcom said the same ship issued an additional distress call about a second attack “by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats”.
The attackers fired small arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within about 65ft (20m) of the vessel, and a contract-embarked security team on the ship returned fire, Centcom said.
US helicopters responded to the distress call and returned fire after the small boats crews opened fire on the helicopters using small arms, the statement said.
The helicopters sank three of the four boats, killing the crews, while the fourth boat fled the area, Centcom said.
No damage to US personnel or equipment was reported.
The Iran-backed Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports.
They say their attacks aim to end Israel’s air and ground offensive targeting the Gaza Strip following the attack by the Palestinian terror group Hamas on October 7.
On Saturday, the top commander of US naval forces in the Middle East said Houthi rebels have shown no signs of ending their “reckless” attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.
A Royal Navy destroyer earlier this month joined international efforts to deter attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
HMS Diamond joined American and French warships in an US-led task force dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
