A Royal Navy destroyer shot down a missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
The Ministry of Defense said HMS Diamond was defending a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday when its Sea Viper missile system was used to destroy the projectile.
The warship is currently deployed in the region to deter Houthi attacks.
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps thanked the crew for helping to “save innocent lives” and protect shipping.
He added, “The United Kingdom remains at the forefront of the international response to the serious attacks launched by the Iran-backed Houthis on commercial ships, which have claimed the lives of international sailors.”
Tell times She said this was the first time a Royal Navy warship had intercepted a missile in combat since the 1991 Gulf War.
The Houthis – who control large swaths of Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa – are targeting ships they say are linked to Israel and the West in response to the ongoing war between Israel and Gaza.
Global supply chains are now facing severe disruption and rising costs as some of the largest shipping companies shift their routes away from the Red Sea – one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
The Houthis announced, on Wednesday, that they attacked the American ship Maersk Yorktown and an American destroyer in the Gulf of Aden.
The Ministry of Defense said the deployment of HMS Diamond to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden forms part of the UK's wider response to Houthi attacks.
This includes interdicting arms smuggling into Yemen, imposing sanctions on Houthi members, and carrying out proportionate and targeted strikes against their military targets.
HMS Diamond previously operated in the area in December and January, coming under fire in three separate attacks by Houthi forces, successfully destroying nine drones equipped with a Sea Viper missile system and cannons.
Earlier this year, the warship took over from HMS Richmond, which repelled a Houthi attack in the Red Sea by shooting down two drones using Sea Ceptor missiles.
HMS Diamond was equipped with Sea Viper missiles, as well as Phalanx machine guns and 30 mm cannons on either side of the ship. The phalanx can fire more than 3,000 rounds per minute. The crew also used a 30mm cannon to successfully shoot down a Houthi drone.
The United States and the United Kingdom began carrying out air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on January 11. There have been several other strikes since then.
In response, the Houthis recently targeted ships linked to owners or operators in the United Kingdom or the United States.