Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has told MPs that the UK will not shy away from further military action against Houthi targets in Yemen if the group persists in attacking Red Sea shipping.
Mr Sunak said the UK was not looking for a fight with the Iran-backed group, but would defend itself and its allies.
His statement comes after a joint US-UK strike in Yemen overnight.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he supported the “targeted action”.
Four RAF Typhoons and two Voyager tankers joined the US in a second round of attacks on the Houthis on Monday night, following earlier raids on 11 January.
They hit two military sites used to launch attacks on vessels north of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. The prime minister said all the targets were successfully destroyed.
Speaking to the House of Commons on Tuesday, Mr Sunak said: “We are not seeking a confrontation. We urge the Houthis and those who enable them to stop these unlawful and unacceptable attacks.
“But, if necessary, the United Kingdom will not hesitate to respond again in self-defence.”
He added that “maximum care” was taken to avoid civilian casualties in the strikes. No civilians have been killed as a result of the strikes.
Sir Keir was not briefed beforehand, but Downing Street said he and Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle were informed while British fighter jets were in the air at about 22:00 on Monday.
Who are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships? US and UK launch fresh strikes on Houthis Since November, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The group says it is targeting ships linked to Israel in response to the military ground operation in Gaza. However, many of the vessels that have been attacked have no connection with Israel.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which is now based in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia, has condemned Houthi attacks.
The US and UK hoped that their strikes would deter the Houthis, who took over much of Yemen 10 years ago, from continuing their attacks.
But the Houthis, who have a large stockpile of missiles and drones, have shown no signs of backing down, despite the eight US-led air strikes so far this year.
The US and UK have little choice but to keep hitting Houthi targets as long as their attacks continue – to give up now would be like handing over control of a vital global shipping route to a banned terror group backed by Iran.
So far, the strikes have been accurate and measured with minimal human casualties, but that could change.
The longer these exchanges go on, the higher the risk of escalation. There is a real danger that Yemeni civilians may die in these retaliatory air strikes, which could spark a wave of anti-western fury across the wider Middle East.
The Houthis have sworn revenge against US and British interests, believing they have God on their side. They have survived eight years of civil war and countless airstrikes by their neighbour, Saudi Arabia.
They have strategic patience, claiming they will outlast their western adversaries.
They also accuse the US and UK of supporting Israel with its military action against them.
But Mr Sunak said there was “no link between our actions of self-defence in the Red Sea and the situation in Israel and Gaza”.
“Those who make that link do the Houthis’ work for them,” he told MPs.
He said the Houthis had launched at least 12 more attacks since 11 January, including on Monday night before the latest strikes.
