The United States formed a military coalition to protect navigation in the region amid attacks launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen on commercial ships in the Red Sea. Ten member states of the Multinational Security Initiative.

Amid an increasing number of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the US military is working to increase its cooperation with the militaries of other countries in the region.

According to the US Department of Defense, several countries are participating in the new security initiative called “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain. According to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Germany is considering a request to participate.

Some countries are expected to conduct joint patrols, while others are expected to provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. In addition, a number of other countries agreed to join the initiative but did not want to reveal its name, a Pentagon source told the Associated Press news agency.

Greater cooperation between navies aims to improve the protection of merchant ships.

Attacks again

Meanwhile, according to the US military, Houthi rebel attacks on two ships in the southern Red Sea were renewed. The Cayman Islands-flagged tanker Swan Atlantic was attacked on Monday by a drone and a missile launched from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen, the regional command of the US military Central Command announced on the platform. X is known.

At approximately the same time, the cargo ship M/V Clara reported an explosion in nearby waters. No injuries were reported in any of these incidents.

Large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding this route

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have been attacking Israel with drones and missiles since the outbreak of the Gaza war, and are attacking ships in the Red Sea to prevent them from passing to Israel. They threaten to prevent ships of any nationality from passing through the Red Sea on their way to Israel. Only cargo ships transporting aid to the Gaza Strip will be allowed to pass.

Several ships have been attacked since then, the most recent of which was a cargo ship belonging to the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd. Major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding passage through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

An important route for global trade

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is currently in the region, said that the matter represents an international challenge that requires joint action. All countries that want to keep free shipping should band together. The “recent escalation of harsh Houthi attacks” threatens free trade and the safety of seafarers and violates international law. Austin also warned: “Iran’s support for Houthi attacks on commercial ships must stop.”

The Red Sea is crucial to international trade. About ten percent of total global trade passes through the Red Sea. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, providing the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. The alternative route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa extends the transportation period by a few days.