Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in an interview airing today, Sunday, expressed the kingdom’s concern that strikes by Houthi rebels and Americans on the Red Sea could escalate conflict in the region, while the British Ministry of Defence asserts its intent to develop its missile systems to shoot down Houthi drones above the Red Sea.
The Saudi minister stressed the kingdom’s belief in freedom of navigation and the necessity to protect it to maintain regional stability, calling for a de-escalation of tensions in the Red Sea.
Bin Farhan warned of the dangers of escalating tensions in the area, adding that Saudi Arabia is focused on calming the situation as much as possible.
During his participation in the Davos Forum held in Switzerland, the Saudi Foreign Minister emphasized that preventing escalation is achieved by stopping the firing in the Gaza Strip and finding a path to de-escalation through genuine regional engagement, urging a course of action to enable the Palestinian Authority and to move forward towards peace.
In recent days, the United States has carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and last week reinstated the Houthi group on the “terrorist organizations” list after Houthi strikes on Israeli or Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea, in solidarity with the Palestinians and demanding the lifting of the Gaza blockade.
Britain to Upgrade Its Missiles
In related developments, Britain intends to update its naval missile defense system in the Red Sea after joining the United States in shooting down drones and missiles launched by the Houthis this month.
The British Ministry of Defence announced it will spend 405 million pounds sterling ($514 million) to update a missile system currently used by the Royal Navy to shoot down drones over the Red Sea.
The Defence Ministry said in a statement that the Sea Viper air defense system would be upgraded with missiles equipped with a new warhead and software that enables it to counter ballistic missile threats, as it was the weapon used by the navy in its first air threat downing operation in more than 30 years.
British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated that the missile system upgrade comes as part of maintaining the safety of the United Kingdom and its allies and partners amid what he described as the “deteriorating situation in the Middle East”.
