A 10-nation coalition has been announced to fight missile and drone attacks by Houthi militants on ships transiting in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The patrol force was announced by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday and will see the participation of the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
"This is an international challenge that demands collective action," Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement released from Bahrain. "Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative."
The patrol mission will be coordinated by Combined Task Force 153 set up in April 2022 to improve maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. The Task Force has 39 member nations.
While some countries will conduct joint patrols, others provide intelligence support. "Besides these 10, several other countries have also agreed to be involved in the operation but prefer not to be publicly named," AP quoted a defence official on the condition of anonymity.
The formation of a patrol force comes as Iran-backed Houthi rebels escalate attacks on tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Red Sea to avenge Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip. The move has affected the cargo movement as this transit route carries up to 12 per cent of global trade. Though Houthis said "no harm will be dealt" to ships heading to ports around the world except for Israeli ports, multiple shipping companies had ordered their ships to hold in place and not enter the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the situation can be addressed.
On Monday, a cargo ship Swan Atlantic came under attack from Houthis, following which a US warship, USS Carney, rushed to their aid. According to the US Central Command, the chemical/oil tanker, a Cayman Islands-flagged ship, was attacked by a one-way attack drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen.
Another vessel also came under Houthi attack on the same day. The bulk cargo ship MSC Clara reported an explosion in the water near its location, CENTCOM added.
At present, the US has deployed two warships - the USS Carney and the USS Mason -- through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait daily to respond to attacks from the Houthis. However, the US has not struck back at the Iranian-back Houthis operating in Yemen or targeted any of the militants' weapons or other sites till now.
Meanwhile, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi politburo, told Al Jazeera that his group would be able to confront any U.S.-led coalition that could deploy to the Red Sea.