Yemen
The response to Houthi attacks from Yemen is intended to encourage commercial shipping companies to avoid using the Red Sea
Sun, Dec 17, 2023, 6:48 p.m. GMT
The US announces the launch of an expanded maritime defense force involving Arab states to combat increasingly frequent Houthi attacks from Yemeni ports on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
The force, tentatively named “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” is expected to be announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his visit to the Middle East. Similar to Task Force 153, which already operates out of Bahrain, the larger protection force is intended to provide commercial shipping companies with assurance that Houthi attacks are being repelled and the sea remains safe for commercial shipping.
Five major shipping companies have now grounded their ships in the Red Sea after Houthis carried out attacks in protest against Israel's efforts to eliminate Hamas in Gaza.
Suez Canal Authority Chairman Lt. Gen. Osama Rabie also announced that 55 ships had been rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope, a two-week longer journey than the one through the Bab al-Mandab Strait south of the Suez Canal. More than 20 ships have reported incidents in recent months, many of them around the narrow Bab al-Mandab that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa.
Hong Kong-based OOCL was the latest to announce a suspension, joining France's CMA CGM, Denmark's Maersk, Germany's Hapag-Lloyd and Italian-Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Co, the world's largest shipping company.
Maersk controls 14.8% of the global shipping container market, and if the decisions are upheld they will be an overall hammer blow to the Egyptian economy and global transportation costs. The Suez Canal earned Egypt $9.5 billion in 2022-23.
The U.S. had tried to persuade China to join an expanded maritime defense force based out of Bahrain, but some officials believe it would limit the participation of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain's security.
The first ship boarded by the Iranian-backed Houthis, the Galaxy Leader, was hijacked on November 19 and is still docked in the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeidah. Since then, the attacks have increased. The USS Carney shot down 14 drones sent to Israel by the Houthis early Saturday.
So far, the French, British and US navies have shot down Houthi-controlled drones and missiles. The Houthis have said they will target all ships entering Israeli ports, regardless of nationality.
The U.S.-led Combined Task Force 153 was already deployed in the Red Sea, combating Somali piracy and other threats.
During a visit to Israel, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said the Houthi attacks “cannot go unanswered.”
There were concerns that Saudi Arabia, which is seeking a peace deal with the Houthis to end Yemen's eight-year civil war, might remain out of the force.
Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani said any multinational task force would face extraordinary problems in protecting shipping in the Red Sea. He said: “If the US takes such an irrational step, it will face extraordinary problems. “No one can move in a region where we have dominance.”
Yemen's military spokesman said: “If the US succeeds in establishing an international alliance, it will be the dirtiest alliance in history. “The world has not forgotten the shame of remaining silent about previous crimes of genocide.”
The leader of the Houthi movement, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, has also warned that he would retaliate if the red lines were crossed, including direct US intervention in Gaza.
{{#Ticker}}
{{top left}}
{{bottom left}}
{{top right}}
{{bottom right}}
{{#goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/goalExceededMarkerPercentage}}{{/ticker}}
{{Headline}}
{{#paragraphs}}
{{.}}
{{/paragraphs}}{{highlightedText}}
{{#choiceCards}}
One-time, monthly, yearly
Other
{{/choiceCards}}We will be in touch to remind you to contribute. Watch for a message in your inbox. If you have any questions about contributing, please contact us.