Washington:
Twelve countries led by the United States jointly warned Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday of unspecified consequences unless they halt attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
“Let our message now be clear: we call for an immediate end to these illegal attacks and the release of unlawfully detained ships and crews,” the White House statement said.
“The Huthis will bear responsibility for the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and free trade in the region's critical waterways.”
The statement comes after several reports that President Joe Biden's administration is considering direct strikes against the rebels if the attacks continue.
Signatories to the statement included Britain, which itself warned the Huthis against “immediate action” on Monday, as well as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan.
The only regional country to sign was Bahrain, the small Gulf state that has particularly tense relations with Iran, which supports the Huthis.
The Houthis say they stand in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza by targeting ships linked to Israel.
The United States has sent an aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the area and previously announced a coalition of countries to protect movements in the Red Sea, through which 12 percent of world trade passes.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)