The UK’s defense secretary has warned Iran to tell its friends in the Middle East to stop what they’re doing because the world is getting tired of it.
Grant Shapps has pointed out that the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon are important friends of Iran and they support Hamas.
The UK and the US worked together to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday night.
The Houthis have been attacking boats in the Red Sea since November.
The group from Iran who controls a big part of Yemen says they are attacking ships because of Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
On Friday, American and British forces launched air attacks on 16 places in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. They targeted places like supply centers, defense systems, and military storage areas. US officials said they also attacked again on Saturday.
MrShapps said in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that Iran is important for calming down the tensions in the Middle East.
When asked about what he wants to say to the Iranian government, he said that they need to stop supporting groups like the Houthi rebels, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and others in Iraq and Syria. The world is getting tired of their actions and wants them to stop.
“We notice you, and we know what you’re up to. ” We are watching what you are doing, especially the Houthi rebels, and it won’t end well.
MrShapps said that the UK is defending itself because container ships are being threatened and a drone attacked a Royal Navy destroyer recently.
Hezbollah and Israel are shooting at each other across the border between Lebanon and Israel. This started when the Israeli military responded to Hamas attacks in southern Israel.
About 1,300 people died and 240 were taken by force in Israel. Israel attacked Gaza and more than 23,000 people have been killed.
Iranian groups in Syria and Iraq have often been attacking US military bases in the area since the war began.
Houthi attacks in the Red Sea went up by 500% between November and December last year. The danger is so big that big shipping companies stopped sailing in the area and now insurance costs are 10 times higher than before December.
The International Chamber of Shipping says that 20% of the world’s container ships are now going around the southern tip of Africa instead of going through the Red Sea.