UK and US plan to launch airstrikes on Houthi in 'next few hours'?

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Downing Street office has yet to respond to a request for comment, while the Pentagon and the White House both declined to comment on the report, Reuters reported. The US does not typically comment on potential future military operations.

Meanwhile, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on January 11: “The Houthis need to stop these attacks… they will suffer the consequences if they do not.”

According to a source from the Times, earlier the same day, British Prime Minister Sunak informed his cabinet ministers about the possibility of imminent military intervention.

British media also reported that other political figures in the country, including opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as well as the Speaker of the House of Commons, were briefed by the government.

Residents of the Yemeni city of Hodeidah told Reuters the city had been on alert since the evening of January 11, with Houthi forces deploying heavily and military trucks moving in. They said Houthi military sites and barracks in Hodeidah were also being evacuated.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest at Israel’s war in Gaza. Many shipping lines have suspended operations, opting instead for longer voyages around Africa.

The US military said earlier on January 11 that Houthi forces had launched their 27th attack on shipping since November 19, firing an anti-ship ballistic missile at international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden.

Earlier this week, US and British naval forces shot down drones and missiles launched by the Houthis towards the southern Red Sea.

The Houthis have said they will attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. However, Western media reports say many of the targeted vessels have no connection to Israel.