The United States and Britain on Friday defended to the UN Security Council the legality of strikes they launched against Yemen’s Houthis for attacking Red Sea shipping while Russia and China accused the Western allies of raising regional tensions. Russia called the US and British operation disproportionate and illegal. Other countries expressed concerns that the US and British strikes against 28 locations would stoke regional tensions, already high over Israel’s war on Gaza. The exchanges came during a Security Council debate on the US and British operation carried out after months of drone a…