"ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH" SHAPPS EXPLAINS STRIKES ON THE HOUTHIS IN YEMEN

 UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has discussed US-UK strikes on Houthis in Yemen - saying these were to prevent further attacks on ships in the Red Sea as "enough was enough". The US and UK attacks were aimed at degrading the military capability of the Houthis, who have been attacking cargo ships since November

1. The Houthis are a political and military group in control of a large part of Yemen, and are also key allies of Hamas in Gaza
2. They say they are targeting ships which are Israeli-owned or which are delivering goods there. However, many have no connections with Israel 
   
   
   
3. Shapps earlier told the BBC that "discreet, proportionate action" was taken to prevent further "thuggish" activity in the region
4. Meanwhile, the US military says it has shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired towards one of its warships from a Houthi-run area of Yemen
5. No injuries or damage were reported in the incident, which took place on Sunday afternoon but wasn't reported until last night
6. PM Rishi Sunak is scheduled to address MPs about the joint US-UK strikes later - his first comments to the Commons on the matter.

7. UK defence secretary: Iran connection to Houthis 'very clear'

   One of the last questions Grant Shapps is asked covers how Iran has responded to the strikes by US and UK forces on Houthi targets in Yemen.

   "We see that the connection [between Iran and the Houthis] is very clear," the UK defence secretary tells those watching his speech at Lancaster House in central London.

   Iran's government in Tehran is suspected of supplying the Houthis with weapons, and the US says Iranian intelligence is critical to enabling them to target ships.

   But when pushed on what Iran has said, Shapps declines to share that information.

   We're going to leave the UK defence secretary's first major speech in the role there.

8. MORE ON THIS AND MANY MORE UPDATES AT: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-middle-east-67978584