twelve nations, led by the United States, they jointly warned Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday of “unspecified consequences” unless they stopped attacks on Red Sea ships.

“Let our message be clear now: we demand an immediate end to these illegal attacks and the release of the illegally seized ships and crews,” said the joint statement – an ultimatum released by the White House.

“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of trade in the region’s critical waterways,” the statement said.

The ultimatum, in effect, comes after several reports that President Joe Biden’s administration is considering direct strikes on the insurgents if the attacks continue.

Signatories to the statement included Britain, which on Monday issued its own warning to the Houthis for “immediate action”, as well as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan.

The only country in the region which has signed is Bahrainthe small Gulf state that has particularly strained relations with Iran, which backs the Houthis, the Times of Israel reports.

It is noted that Israel has not signed the joint communique, which did not mention the country or the war against Hamas that apparently sparked the Houthi attacks.

“These attacks threaten innocent lives around the world and are a major international problem which requires collective action”, also mentioned in the announcement.