UK wants to de-escalate regional tensions amid recent attacks on Houthi rebels, prime minister says

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the country’s recent attacks on the Houthi rebels in Yemen were a "last resort," stressing that the UK will "not hesitate" to protect the security of the British people. 

"We faced an escalating series of attacks from the Houthis on commercial shipping, including an attack on a Royal Navy warship. That's unacceptable," Sunak told reporters during a visit to Essex, southern England on Monday. 

"But it's right that we took proportionate, targeted action against military targets to send a strong message that that behavior is unacceptable. It was a last resort," he stressed. 

The prime minister reiterated that the UK's main priority remains de-escalating "tensions in the region" and restoring "stability back to the area." 

Last week, the UK teamed up with the US to strike multiple Houthi targets in Yemen. 

Earlier Monday, Britain's Defense Secretary Grant Shapps did not rule out the prospect of further British strikes on Yemen, telling UK broadcaster Sky News that the government will have to "wait and see."