Scottish Green Party leader Patrick Harvie has said the UK military strikes on targets in Yemen are “grave and deeply troubling”, and called on Rishi Sunak to recall parliament to allow MPs to discuss the crisis.

Speaking after UK and US forces bombed military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen, Scottish Government Zero Carbon Buildings Minister Mr Harvie said Rishi Sunak “must explain his actions”.

Rishi Sunak has faced calls for greater consultation in Parliament on the military action amid growing concern over escalation in the Middle East, with pressure increasing after the UK Government signaled its intention to intervene in the Red Sea on Thursday.

The Prime Minister said this morning Britain has taken “limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence” after the Iranian-backed group attacked ships in the Red Sea. 

The Herald: A map of the strikes in Yemen (PA Graphics)A map of the strikes in Yemen (PA Graphics) (Image: PA)

Last night, Humza Yousaf took to X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday evening, calling for Westminster to be recalled. 

He said the UK did “not have a good record” of military intervention in the Middle East. 

Scotland’s First Minister said: “It is therefore incumbent that Westminster is recalled, MPs briefed and allowed to debate and scrutinise any decision to pursue military action that the UK Government is proposing.” 

Speaking this morning, his Scottish Government cabinet colleague Mr Harvie said: “The people of the UK will not stand another government taking it to war in the Middle East, or acting without even observing a basic democratic process. 

READ MORE: Which UK ships have been deployed to Red Sea?

 “The UK Government should not have acted without consulting Parliament and should recall MPs to address the actions that risk destabilising the region further. The public should not have to wait a weekend for answers.

“We should all be deeply troubled by the UK’s history of military interventions in the region, often making matters worse and learn lessons of the past.”

He added: “The situation in the Red Sea is of course alarming, but this will increase tensions or widen conflicts further. The critical condition for de-escalating the conflict is an immediate ceasefire and an end to the killing in Gaza.” 

The strikes on Thursday night were the first to be launched against the Houthi militants since they started targeting international shipping in the key international trade route. 

The Herald: Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has destroyed ‘multiple attack drones’ deployed by Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, according to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps (MoD/PA Wire)Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond has destroyed ‘multiple attack drones’ deployed by Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, according to Defence Secretary Grant Shapps (MoD/PA Wire) (Image: PA/MOD)

The Ministry of Defence said four Royal Air Force jets struck two Houthi facilities involved in their targeting of HMS Diamond and US Navy vessels on Tuesday. 

One was a site at Bani and the other the Abbs airfield, used to launch drones and cruise missiles. 

The US Air Force said it struck more than 60 targets at 16 sites in Yemen.

The UK and US had non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.

On Friday, Armed Forces Minister James Heappey played down concerns about the danger of escalation after criticism from Russia, which requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the strikes.

READ MORE: RAF launches ‘targeted strikes’ against Houthi rebel sites

There are fears over a dramatic regional widening of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and rising tensions with Iran, which backs the Houthis and has condemned the air strikes. 

Saudi Arabia has expressed “great concern” over the situation and has called for “restraint and avoiding escalation”.

Mr Heappey told BBC Breakfast: “Clearly there is nervousness amongst those partners in the region that there could be some sort of escalation, but we were confident that these limited, proportionate, necessary strikes that went in last night were what was necessary to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to attack our warships that are protecting shipping in the southern Red Sea. 

“And clearly nobody should see this as part of anything bigger.”

The minister also said the Government’s “legal position is sound” and that no more UK strikes are planned for the moment.

Mr Sunak, early on Friday morning, said it “cannot stand” that the Houthis continued to carry out “dangerous” attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea despite repeated warnings from the international community. 

“The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade.” 

The Prime Minister, who is making a surprise visit to Ukraine on Friday, held a full Cabinet call the previous evening in which ministers discussed the response to disruption on the key global shipping route. 

In an unusual move, the Government briefed Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey after the call. 

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn described the strikes as “a reckless act of escalation” and said it “is utterly disgraceful that Parliament has not even been consulted”.

The Houthis have claimed their attacks have been on Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea in response to the country’s bombardment of Gaza since Hamas’ assault on Israel on October 7.

The Ministry of Defence said early indications are the strikes dealt a “blow” to the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping in the Red Sea, through which some 15% of the world’s shipping passes.

But the militants said the strikes would not prevent them from continuing their attacks.

A high-ranking Houthi official, Ali al-Qahoum, posted on X: “The battle will be bigger… and beyond the imagination and expectation of the Americans and the British.”