Britain Will Not Join U.S. Retaliatory Strikes

British Defense Minister Grant Shapps announced in an interview with the "Daily Telegraph" that Britain will not join U.S. retaliatory strikes against targets, including Iranian personnel and facilities within Iraq and Syria. The minister stated that London wants to avoid a "widespread regional conflict" and urges Tehran to "show control over Iranian-backed forces in Syria and Iraq." Shapps indicated that Britain will continue to cooperate with the United States "in the war against the Houthi movement in Yemen to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea." At the same time, he denied information that authorities in London are considering the possibility of sending a British aircraft carrier to the combat area.