December 20, 2023 2:27 AM | Updated December 19, 2023 9:51 PM IST – MANAMA/SANAA
The U.S. Navy already had a Red Sea Task Force, strengthening its presence in the vital waterway.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday announced the creation of a multinational operation to protect Red Sea commerce following a series of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthis.
Austin, who is visiting Bahrain, home of the U.S. Naval Command in West Asia, said participating countries include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
The group conducts joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response, the Houthi rebels said they would not unite and stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. “Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not stop, no matter the cost,” said senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti on X (formerly Twitter) .
“The coalition formed by the United States is aimed at protecting Israel and militarizing the seas,” rebel spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam said. “Those who seek to escalate the conflict will They must bear the consequences of their actions,” he added.
Mr. Austin. “This is an international challenge that requires collective action, which is why today I am announcing the creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative,” he said in a statement early Tuesday morning. said.
In a virtual meeting with ministers from more than 40 countries, Austin condemned the “reckless Houthi actions” and called on other countries to contribute.
“We are all here because many countries can directly contribute to the common effort to keep our strategic waterways safe,” Austin said, according to prepared remarks.
Still, the announcement means the country will do more of what primarily U.S. warships have been doing in recent days: shooting down Houthi missiles and drones and rushing to the aid of merchant vessels under attack. Many questions remain unanswered, such as whether
The U.S. Navy already has a Red Sea task force and has strengthened its presence in the critical waterway, but it is unclear how many countries will send additional ships and patrol aircraft after Operation Prosperity Guardian is created.
During his visit to Israel on Monday, Mr. Austin also acknowledged that the United States is “Israel’s greatest friend” and will continue to provide “critical ammunition, tactical vehicles, and air defense systems.”
Austin added that his visit was not intended to “determine the schedule or terms” of the war.
The Houthis have disrupted the conflict between Israel and Hamas by attacking ships in key shipping lanes and launching drones and missiles toward Israel, more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in Yemen’s capital Sanaa. invaded.
Prior to Austin’s announcement, the Houthis announced on Monday that they had launched drone attacks on two cargo ships in the region.
British maritime security company Ambry said on Tuesday it had received information about a possible boarding attempt 27 miles west of Yemen’s port city of Aden, which ended in failure and all crew members were safe. he added.
The Houthis have threatened to target all ships bound for Israel, regardless of nationality, and have warned international shipping companies not to do business with Israeli ports.
Typically, around 12% of the world’s shipping traffic flows through the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, and also into the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.
But the disruption has disrupted maritime trade, forcing cargo companies to reroute through Africa instead, adding costs and delays that are expected to worsen in coming weeks.
Albert Jan Swart, an analyst at ABN AMRO, told Reuters that ship-converting companies together “control about half of the global container shipping market.”
Oil giant BP has suspended all sailings through the Red Sea and oil tanker group Frontline said on Monday that its vessels would avoid transiting the waterway, in signs the crisis is extending to energy transport as well. Ta. Oil prices rose on Monday on those concerns.
Austin, who visited Israel on Monday, placed the blame squarely on Iran for the Houthi attack.
“Iran’s support for Houthi attacks on commercial ships must end,” he said.
“As we work to stabilize the region, Iran is escalating tensions by continuing to support terrorist organizations and militias,” Austin said at a news conference in Tel Aviv.
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