ANTI-WAR campaigners expressed outrage today after Britain launched a targeted strike in Yemen along with the US, further escalating tensions in the region.

British and US forces bombed military facilities used by the Houthi movement in Yemen, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying the action sent a “strong signal” that the group’s actions in the Red Sea cannot be carried out with “impunity.”

The Houthis have been targeting vessels in the key international trade route in response to the bombardment of Gaza, saying their action only stopped Israel-linked shipping.

Mr Sunak insisted that the two nations acted in “self-defence” and that allies would not hesitate to ensure the safety of commercial shipping through the region.

But the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) warned that the attack on Yemen is a “dangerous escalation” of the war in the Middle East, calling it a “direct consequence” of Britain, the US and their allies’ support for Israel’s three-month attack on Palestine.

Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, where he announced a £2.5 billion military package to support further war in the country, Mr Sunak downplayed the concerns echoed by experts and insisted the aim was to “de-escalate tensions and restore stability.”

The PM has also faced calls for greater consultation in Parliament after not speaking with MPs before the attack.

He justified not doing so, saying he had chaired Cobra and Cabinet meetings on Thursday as well as briefing Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey.

Mr Sunak is expected to make a statement to MPs on Monday about the strikes.

In a joint statement, StWC and CND said: “This is the most dangerous time for more than two decades in the Middle East and the refusal of the Western powers to condemn Israel’s actions is threatening the further spread of war to Yemen, Lebanon and elsewhere, and raising the spectre of nuclear weapons use.

“Yemen has suffered a terrible war for much of the last decade, where Saudi Arabia — backed and supported by the British government —repeatedly bombed the country in opposition to the Yemeni Houthis.

“The US has 57,000 military personnel in the Middle East to enforce its interests. It has invaded and occupied Iraq, bombed Syria, and intervened repeatedly in the region, which has become ever more unstable as a result.

“UK participation in this shocking attack was not even discussed in Parliament; MPs must now demand both a ceasefire and an end to this dangerous escalation.”

The groups warned that the action could spread to Iran, with devastating consequences, due to its alliance with the Houthis, and said that the British and US governments should be demanding Israel implements a ceasefire to stop violence from mounting.

Geoff Tibbs of the Peace Pledge Union reiterated the warnings and the call for a ceasefire, saying the attack “stinks of imperial arrogance.”

He said: “Even on its own terms, this attack won’t achieve security for trade in the Red Sea. There is no military solution to the complex regional situation.

“Their priorities are clear: military adventurism over peace and security, narrow geopolitical interest over people’s lives.”

Sir Keir said Labour is “fully supportive” of intervention to stop Houthi actions.

Asked how concerned he was that MPs will not have the opportunity to debate the strikes until Monday, he said: “The principle of taking action against the Houthi rebels is really important.”

But his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn described the strikes as “a reckless act of escalation that will only cause more death and suffering.”

He said: “It is utterly disgraceful that Parliament has not even been consulted.

“When will we learn from our mistakes and realise that war is not the answer?”

The Liberal Democrats demanded a vote on the matter, and the SNP said any military action should be scrutinised in Commons.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said the people of Britain “will not stand another government taking it to war or act without even observing a basic democratic process.”

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf insisted that Parliament should have been recalled before the strikes and that MPs “should have had their say.”

He said: “The UK, let’s be honest about this, does not have a good track record when it comes to military intervention, particularly in the Middle East.

“If we have learnt anything from the past, the very recent past, it is that any decision to instigate military action should be evidence-based, and we should be transparent with the people of Scotland and indeed the UK about the reasons for military intervention.”

Mr Yousaf also criticised the government for caring more about the cargo of Red Sea ships than children dying in Gaza.

The Communist Party said the action was a “pretext of defending freedom, human rights and international law,” warning that the real motive is to defend commercial interests.

“If the British and US governments gave a damn about defending freedom, human rights and international law, they would be taking action against Israel’s genocidal destruction of Palestinian society in Gaza,” it said in a statement.

Downing Street said that the strikes against the Houthis may not immediately make the Red Sea safer for commercial shipping, but in the “longer-term” would have a “positive effect.”

The government published a summary of its legal position following the strikes, saying military intervention “was lawfully taken” and “this was the only feasible means available to deal with such attacks.”

Protesters will gather in London today at noon as part of a Global Day of Action calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, which organisers say will now also demand an end to the attacks on Yemen.