The Pentagon has announced that the US is joining forces in a 10-nation military pact to try to do this counter terrorist threats in the Red Sea after a series of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the pact – which also includes the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain – early Tuesday in Bahrain.
Ships transiting the Red Sea are being attacked by drones and ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
The group says the attacks are a response to the war between Hamas and Israel.
The severity of the attacks, several of which damaged ships, prompted several shipping companies to order their ships to shelter in place and not enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the security situation can be addressed.
The Pentagon has announced that the United States is joining forces in a 10-nation military pact to counter terror threats in the Red Sea following a series of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships
The US military's Central Command reported two more attacks on commercial ships on Monday.
The attacks have been making headlines since a US warship and several commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea in early December.
The Houthi, which rules much of Yemen, says its attacks are a show of support for the Palestinians and has vowed they will continue until Israel stops its offensive on the Gaza Strip – more than 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the Houthi seat of power in Sanaa.
Houthi rebels have carried out a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea – and have also launched drones and missiles targeting Israel as it wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Yemeni rebels were officially recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States under the Trump administration – until Biden removed the militants from the list in 2021.
In October, the Pentagon confirmed that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney, based in the waters between Africa and Asia, was attacked.
President Joe Biden has approved the formation of the coalition by the United States
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the pact – which also includes the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain – early Tuesday in Bahrain.
Houthi rebels have carried out a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea – and have also launched drones and missiles targeting Israel as it wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Pictured: Palestinians celebrate at a destroyed Israeli tank at the Gaza Strip fence east of Khan Younis on October 7
In late November, Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles at a US Navy destroyer off the coast of Yemen, in a “significant escalation” with US forces.
Last week, a Norwegian-flagged tanker was hit by a cruise missile launched by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in their latest attack on ships protesting Israel's bombardment of Gaza.
The US Military Central Command said the anti-tank cruise missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen hit the Strinda and the destroyer USS Mason provided assistance.
Now the rally will aim to protect ships in the Red Sea and deter further attacks.
“This is an international challenge that requires collective action,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement released just after midnight in Bahrain.
“That's why today I'm announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a major new multinational security initiative.”
Pictured: USS Carney, DDG 64, in Jacksonville, Florida. The Pentagon said: 'We are aware of reports of attacks on the USS Carney and commercial ships in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available.'
The US Military Central Command said an anti-ship cruise missile “launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen” struck the Strinda and the destroyer USS Mason (pictured in 2021) provided assistance
The US Central Command said the anti-tank cruise missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen struck the Strinda (file image) last night.
Some countries will conduct joint patrols, while others will provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Several other countries have also agreed to be involved in the operation but preferred not to be publicly named, a defense official said on condition of anonymity.
The mission will be coordinated by the already existing Combined Task Force 153, which was established in April 2022 to enhance maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden.
There were 39 member states in CTF 153, but officials were working to determine which of them would participate in this latest effort.
The United States has also called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against the attacks.
In a letter to council members, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Houthi attacks targeting commercial vessels legally transiting international waterways continued to threaten “navigation rights and freedoms, international maritime security and international trade.”
The fifteen council members discussed the Houthi threat behind closed doors on Monday but took no immediate action.
The United States has also called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against the attacks
The fifteen council members discussed the Houthi threat behind closed doors on Monday but took no immediate action
To date, the U.S. has not hit back against the Iran-backed Houthis operating in Yemen or targeted the militants' weapons or other locations.
On Monday, Austin did not answer a question about why the Pentagon had not counterattacked.
The United States and Britain have condemned the attacks on shipping and blamed Iran for its role in supporting the Houthis. Tehran says its allies make their decisions independently.
Saudi Arabia has asked the United States to exercise restraint in responding to the attacks.