The United States and Britain on Friday defended to the U.N. 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 U.S. and British operation disproportionate and illegal. Other countries expressed concerns that the U.S. and British strikes against 28 locations would stoke regional tensions, already high over Israel's offensive against Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists.