A Houthi drone targeting a vessel in the Red Sea was successfully intercepted by a British warship, HMS Diamond, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The missile deployment occurred on Saturday, resulting in no injuries or damage. The Iran-backed Houthis have been directing their attacks at ships they claim are associated with Israel and the West, navigating the Red Sea trade route.

Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, affirmed the UK's steadfastness in the face of these assaults, labeling the latest Houthi attack as "illegal" and emphasizing the commitment to safeguarding innocent lives and the freedom of navigation.

The MoD denounced these actions as "intolerable and illegal," stressing the imperative to protect navigation freedom in the Red Sea. This marks the third such incident involving HMS Diamond since December, with previous occurrences on December 16 and January 9.

Additionally, earlier in the week, the US and UK conducted joint air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.

It was the eighth time the US had struck Houthi targets and the second time the UK was involved.

On Friday, the Marlin Luanda - a British-linked oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden - was set on fire for several hours after being hit by a missile fired by the Houthis.

The fire was extinguished with no crew injured after French, Indian, and US naval ships assisted the vessel.

The Houthis said it targeted the vessel in response to "American-British aggression against our country".

The Houthis have targeted foreign ships in the area since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. They have declared support for Hamas and have said they were targeting ships traveling to Israel.

Job well done.