Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired one of their largest-ever barrages against cargo ships in the Red Sea, authorities said on Wednesday. US and UK navies shot down the projectiles in a major naval engagement. No damage was immediately reported. The attack is the latest escalation in the Red Sea – one of the world’s crucial trade routes – by the Iranian-backed rebel group. It comes ahead of a planned United Nations Security Council vote later on Wednesday to condemn and demand an immediate halt to the Houthis assaults. The group says their attacks are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, c…