Continued 'Insecurity' in the Red Sea; US Defense Secretary Announces Formation of an International Group for Security

The United States Secretary of Defense, who is visiting the Middle East, announced the formation of a new naval force to protect ships passing through the Red Sea, in collaboration with the US and several other countries, aimed at countering attacks from Yemen's Houthis. Lloyd Austin stated in a statement: "The Red Sea is a vital waterway that facilitates international trade. The escalation of Houthi attacks from Yemen threatens the free flow of trade, endangers innocent sailors, and violates international laws. This is an international challenge that requires collective action, therefore I am announcing today the formation of the 'Guardian of Prosperity' group and operation, which is an important multinational security initiative." He added that the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Spain will join the US in this new mission, stating: "In this operation, some countries will conduct joint patrols while others will provide intelligence support in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden." According to the US Secretary of Defense, this mission will be coordinated by the Combined Task Force 153, which was established in April 2022 to enhance maritime security in the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis, who control a large part of northern Yemen, have launched attacks against ships in the region since the onset of Israel's war against Hamas on October 7. They have threatened all ships belonging to Israel as well as any vessel heading towards Israeli ports. The US Central Command, CENTCOM, announced on December 17 that the missile-guided destroyer 'Carney' shot down 14 drones launched by the Yemeni Houthis in the Red Sea on the morning of December 16. According to the statement, these drones were offensive and unilateral, and were downed without causing any damage to vessels present in the waters of the region. Simultaneously, the UK also announced that one of its warships had downed a suspicious offensive drone that intended to attack commercial vessels. Currently, three US warships are patrolling the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait daily to help deter and respond to Houthi attacks. The United States has not yet attacked the Iran-backed Houthis operating in Yemen and has not targeted any of their weapons or sites. On Monday, the US Secretary of Defense did not respond to a question about why the Pentagon had not conducted a retaliatory strike. Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican leader, on December 18, referred to the recent Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea as a sign of the increasing audacity of the Islamic Republic's proxy forces and warned of the serious threat these incidents pose to the global economy. He stated that the current approach to addressing real challenges and threats undermines America's credibility as a global superpower and called for more serious actions against the Houthis and their supporters. President Joe Biden removed the Houthis from the US government's list of terrorist groups at the beginning of his presidency three years ago. A group of Republican senators is calling for the return of this Iran-backed militia to the terrorism list. The US Secretary of Defense warned in Israel about the Houthi attacks on the Islamic Republic. Lloyd Austin is arriving in Israel today. The refusal of two other shipping companies to transit through the Suez Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; Houthi attacks have made the Red Sea unsafe. The US announced the downing of 14 Houthi offensive drones. The UK shot down an offensive drone in the skies over the Red Sea. The Pentagon has ordered the US aircraft carrier to remain in the eastern Mediterranean near Israel.