France blames Houthis for escalation of war, defends Red Sea operations

France has blamed Iran-backed Houthis for an escalation in the Middle East after US and British strikes targeted them in Yemen on Friday. The French navy, meanwhile, has defended its use of expensive missiles to down Houthi drones used to attack shipping lanes in the Red Sea. France’s maritime commander for the Indian Ocean, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, defended the use of million-euro missiles to down Houthi drones.In December, the French frigate Languedoc shot down multiple drones while patro