Ten countries, led by the United States, have agreed to jointly patrol the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to protect commercial ships from Houthi insurgent attacks.
Since the start of the conflict between Hamas and Israel, the Houthis, supported by the Iranian regime, have targeted Israeli ships and even those heading towards Israel under the pretext of supporting the people of Gaza against Israeli attacks.
Lloyd Austin, the United States Secretary of Defense, announced during his visit to Bahrain that several countries would participate in this initiative as part of an international force. It is unclear whether these countries will engage in the same activities as the US warships have done in recent days, which involve intercepting Houthi missiles and drones and providing assistance to attacked commercial vessels, or if their involvement will be symbolic.
The seriousness of the Houthi attacks, some of which have caused damage to ships, has prompted several shipping companies to instruct their vessels to remain in place and avoid entering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the security situation is resolved.
“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” Austin said in a statement. “Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative.”
In addition to the United States, other countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Spain, Seychelles, and Bahrain are expected to be part of this coalition led by the United States.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated in a statement that on Monday, December 18, the Houthis once again attacked two commercial ships in the southern Red Sea. The oil tanker Swan Atlantic was targeted by a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile. CENTCOM also reported a separate incident around the same time where the cargo ship MSC Clara experienced an explosion near its location. However, no damage to either of the vessels has been reported.
Yahya Saree, the spokesperson for the Houthis, claimed responsibility for the attacks on the two ships on December 18 and emphasized that these actions were taken because the crews of these two tankers did not respond to Houthi contacts. The Houthis have threatened to target all ships heading to Israel regardless of their nationality and have warned international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political office, stated on Monday that his group could confront any coalition led by the United States that could be stationed in the Red Sea.
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator for the Houthi rebels in Yemen, also told Reuters on Tuesday, December 19, that the group would not change its stance on the Gaza conflict due to the formation of a multinational naval coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea.
AbdulSalam, describing the multinational naval coalition led by the United States as “essentially unnecessary,” pointed out that all waters adjacent to Yemen are safe, and only Israeli ships or ships heading towards Israel should be cautious. He attributed this insecurity to what he called an “unjust aggression against Palestine.”
On December 18, the US State Department announced that, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, condemned the Houthi attacks on commercial ships in a call with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
According to a senior US military official present in Bahrain, as reported by the Associated Press, under the new mission, the military ships that have increased their presence in the area do not necessarily escort a particular vessel but position military ships in a way that creates a security umbrella to protect them when needed.
Mr. Austin, in his statements on Tuesday, December 19, at a ministers meeting regarding the new naval mission, said that in the past four weeks, Houthi militias have attacked or seized 12 commercial ships, and 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader oil tanker are still held hostage by Yemeni forces. The United States is actively pursuing the participation of member countries in this mission and increasing the number of naval forces present in this international coalition.
Some countries are expected to be involved in the patrols, while others will provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
An unnamed US defense official stated that several other countries have also agreed to participate in these operations but prefer to remain anonymous while cooperating with the coalition.
