Royal Navy destroyer that came under fire three times heads back to the Red Sea

The Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond that came under fire from Iranian backed Houthis militants on three occasions is heading back to the Red Sea to perform protection duties.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the HMS Diamond will relieve HMS Richmond which use Sea Captor missiles over the weekend to repel two Houthi attack drones.

The Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said, “Protecting shipping around the world is one of the Navy’s key tasks and this deployment shows how our highly skilled sailors and advanced warships are helping to keep our sea lanes safe.

“Britain continues to be at the forefront of the international response to the Houthis’ dangerous attacks on commercial vessels, which have claimed the lives of international mariners.

“I thank the crew of HMS Richmond for their incredible work and am confident that HMS Diamond will continue to stand up for freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers.”