The US late on Monday formally announced taking the lead in a multinational naval operation to protect the key sea lane from the Gulf of Aden to the Suez Canal.
US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin announced establishing Operation Prosperity Guardian — an initiative he described as “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”.
Nine nations are taking part in the operation alongside the US: the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
The 10 partners are “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”, Austin said.
Austin did not give details about what military assets will be deployed.
His announcement comes after international shipping associations urged national governments to send more war vessels into the area, following a wave of attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial shipping.
Several big container liners and oil major BP have already announced diverting ships and cargo around Africa to avoid the Houthi threat, in a development that threatened to throw global trade into disarray.
“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” Austin said.
“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” he added.
