New Delhi, Jan 1 (IANS): British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said that they are will not hesitate to take action against the Houthis, media reports said.

“We are willing to take direct action, and we won’t hesitate to take further action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” media reports quoting Grant Shapps as having said.

He said that the Houthis should be under no misunderstanding that no action can be taken against them.

“We are committed to holding malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks,” he said.

Earlier on Sunday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said he told Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a call that Iran should help in stopping the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea since November, the BBC reported.

The Iranian-backed Yemeni rebel group has said that the attacks on the vital shipping lane are directed at vessels linked to Israel, in response to the war in Gaza.