The Royal Air Force on Thursday evening (11 January) launched targeted strikes against military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen, with Rishi Sunak saying the UK will “always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade”. It marks the first time strikes have been launched against the group since it started targeting international shipping in the Red Sea late last year, and it vowed there would be retaliation. US president Joe Biden said US military forces, backed by the UK and supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen.