Pentagon Announces 10 Nation Coalition to Counter Houthi Attacks on Strategic Corridor in Red Sea
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – On Monday, the United States announced the formation of a 10-nation coalition creating a new force aimed at suppressing missile and drone attacks from Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on vessels navigating the Red Sea. This “multinational security initiative” includes participation from Britain, France, Bahrain, and Italy among other countries.
The newly designated force will focus on addressing the escalating attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on tankers, cargo ships, and other maritime vessels in the Red Sea, a critical transit route that facilitates up to 12 percent of global trade. Given the intensity of these attacks, which have resulted in damage to several ships, a multitude of shipping companies have directed their vessels to temporarily cease operations and refrain from entering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until the prevailing security issues are adequately addressed.
“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” stated US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” Austin said in statement. “Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative.”
Over the weekend, naval vessels from the US and UK successfully intercepted and shot down a total of 15 drones in the strategic waterway.
Mohammed Abdel-Salam, the Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesman, challenged the U.S.-led coalition on Tuesday. He asserted that the Iranian-backed rebels would continue their strategy of targeting Israel-linked vessels off the coast of Yemen. Abdel-Salam criticized the coalition on social media platform X, stating, “The American-formed coalition is to protect Israel and militarize the sea without any justification, and will not stop Yemen from continuing its legitimate operations in support of Gaza.”
In a separate move, the United States has appealed to the United Nations Security Council to respond to these attacks. The 15 members of the council convened on Monday for a closed-door discussion regarding the Houthi threat, but they did not take any immediate action.
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