The UK is preparing to join the United States and other Western countries to launch a series of air aggressions on Yemen or Yemeni-affiliated targets in the Red Sea, The Times reported on Sunday.

According to the newspaper, an "unprecedented" joint statement is set to be released in the coming hours, issuing a warning to Sanaa to halt its operations or face a military response.

Read more: 3200 days into war on Yemen, Sanaa reveals Saudi-US crimes in numbers

This comes after a Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson announced earlier today that a number of the country's naval units were martyred in a US helicopter attack while "carrying out their duty" toward Palestine in the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, the armed forces also announced the successful targeting of the Maersk Hangzhou ship, which was heading to the occupation entity's ports. The attack prompted the shipping firm to halt its navigation through the Red Sea, shortly after it announced resuming its operations in the strategic trade route.

Read more: Yemen won't hesitate to target any Israeli vessel in Red Sea: Saree

British Defense Secretary said earlier today “If the Houthis continue to threaten lives and trade, we will be forced to take the necessary and appropriate action.”

Citing sources, the newspaper said that Grant Shapps' comments were a "last warning" if Sanaa does not stop conducting operations, noting that the Western response would likely be “limited” but “significant”.

The Yemeni Armed Forces launched in November a phase of operations against Israeli and "Israel"-bound ships, both in the Red and Arabian Seas, in response to the Israeli brutal war on Gaza, which has so far led to the martyrdom of over 21,000 Palestinians, over 70% of which are women and children.

Read more: Yemen targets 'Eilat' with missiles, Israelis puzzled about UAV attack

Since then, the Yemeni army successfully detained the Galaxy Leader Israeli ship and targeted several others. Based on these developments, the world's leading shipping companies announced redirecting their vessels away from the Red Sea, without specifying a timeline for this decision.

Almost two weeks ago, Washington announced the establishment of a 20-nation maritime coalition under the Operation Prosperity Guardian initiative, also including the UK, with the declared mission of putting an end to the Yemeni operations.

However, the military group suffered major setbacks, including the withdrawal of France and Spain, and was unsuccessful in stopping the Yemenis from enforcing their equation.

Last November, the British government announced that it had dispatched the Royal Navy ship HMS Diamond under the pretext of 'reinforcing regional security' in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

According to the insider speaking to The Times, the synchronized attacks might see the participation of RAF warplanes for the inaugural time or the involvement of HMS Diamond.

US will be direct target

Amid the growing escalation and tensions, Saree issued a warning on Friday, stating, "We caution the American enemy of the repercussions of any escalation against our nation and our people."

He emphasized that Yemen's stance on the Palestinian issue is "steadfast and principled, and will remain unchanged, regardless of developments or challenges," adding that the YAF are fully prepared and ready to counter any aggression. 

Addressing Washington, the spokesperson said: "You should heed the warnings of the leader of the Ansar Allah movement [Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi]."

On that note, the Ansar Allah leader affirmed earlier that "the United States will be a direct target if it attacks Yemen," indicating that the Americans are aware of the gravity of this warning.