British defence minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday the Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond was potentially targeted in an attack by Yemen-based Houthi militants in the Red Sea, which was repelled by U.S. and British forces on Tuesday.

"My understanding is that both the ship itself potentially was targeted ... but also that there's a generalised attack on all shipping (in the region)," Shapps told reporters.

(Reporting by Alistair Smout, writing by Sachin Ravikumar, editing by William James)