The US Secretary of Defense announced a new coalition aimed at protecting maritime commerce in the Red Sea in response to a month of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Houthi rebels launched attacks on international shipping last month in response to Israeli operations in Gaza. On November 20, a group of Israeli militants hijacked an Israeli-affiliated car carrier in the Red Sea and diverted it to the port of Hodeidah. Over the previous weeks, Houthi forces had attacked commercial ships with drones and missiles, expanding their list of targets to include all ships heading to Israeli ports.
The United States leads a long-standing international coalition called the Combined Maritime Forces, based in Bahrain. While American (and more recently British and French) warships have been on the scene to protect ships from air attacks, other CMF partners have been absent. Media sources say the entire region is in conflict with Houthi rebels due to the risk of angering Iranian sponsors, dragging Tehran into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, or derailing nascent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is reported that he is reluctant to face off.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday that some CMF partners will eventually participate in maritime security in the Red Sea under the coalition flag. This area is covered by the CMF’s existing CTF 153, but the new task force will be renamed Operation Prosperity Guardian.
“This is a global challenge that requires collective action, which is why today I am announcing the creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a major new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Joint Maritime Command,” Austin said in a statement. ” he said.
The list of participating countries includes the United States, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. Absent are 29 other countries with regional interests, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait and Djibouti. Egypt, the Middle East’s largest naval power and the main financial beneficiary of Red Sea trade, is also conspicuously absent.
The Pentagon and White House are under increasing pressure to take action to deal with the Houthi threat, with the option of a direct attack reportedly on the table in the absence of coordinated police forces. There is. On Saturday, an American destroyer shot down 14 Houthi drones. On Monday, a Norwegian-owned tanker was hit by an “unidentified object” (possibly a missile) on its port side, causing a fire. Several carriers, including MSC, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and BP, have announced plans to bypass the Red Sea and Suez Canal altogether.