UK diplomats are scrambling to end Houthi rebels attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea as the country’s military draws up plans for strikes against the militant group, a London-based diplomatic source told The National.
According to the source, British diplomats are speaking to both the Houthis, who control parts of the north of Yemen, and the country’s UN-backed government, which rules the south.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron spoke to his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi as well as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in recent days in an attempt to pressure Tehran to exert influence over its proxy, the Houthi rebels.
Oman has served as a mediator for the Houthis in the past, and most recently in November when the group’s attacks on the Red Sea began.
The UK was also seeking avenues through Arab countries, which do not want to see an escalation in the region, the source said.
It comes as the UK military has set out plans to strike the Houthis should the attacks in the Red Sea continue.
Despite these efforts, the Houthis had left the UK and the US without “much options or choices”, according to former Yemeni diplomat Mustapha Numan.
The Houthis view themselves as having engaging in resistance against Israel and attacks by western powers will only validate their position.
This had left the UK and US “stuck in quite an odd formula”, said Farea Al Muslimi, research fellow at international affairs think tank Chatham House, told The National.
“They don’t want to escalate in the region, but they don’t want Houthis to get away with it,” he added.
Another potential avenue for leverage could be Saudi Arabia, which has been engaged in peace talks with the Houthis since last year. Riyadh is unlikely to want to compromise its peace plan as it seeks an exit from the eight-year war in Yemen.