US announces establishment of multinational mission against Houthi attacks in Red Sea

WASHINGTON

The US announced the creation of a multinational mission on Monday to counter attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. 

In a statement, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the escalating attacks by Houthis threaten the free flow of commerce, endanger innocent mariners and violate international law.

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea,” said Austin.

The mission gathers 10 countries including the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

It aims to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity, according to Austin.

He noted that the Red Sea is a critical waterway which has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade.

“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 launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters,” he added.

The Houthi attacks against commercial vessels escalated in the wake of the Gaza conflict which started in early October. The US believes the attacks are fully enabled by Iran.