US: Houthi Attacks on Ships in the Red Sea Must Stop

On Tuesday, the United States condemned the Iranian-backed Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and stated that these attacks must cease. John Kirby, the Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, said during a press briefing, "Attacks on ships in the Red Sea must stop." He also mentioned that the United States and its partners will continue to protect ships from attacks. According to Reuters, the Houthi militia, which has controlled a large portion of Yemen after years of war, has launched drones and missiles at international ships in the Red Sea since last month. The Houthis claim these attacks are a response to Israel's assault on Gaza. In response to a question regarding the participation of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in multinational operations with the United States, Kirby stated, "I am not going to get into diplomatic details; both countries are important allies of the US in the region, and they should discuss their level of participation." He added, "In this coalition, each country must decide for itself whether to participate and under what conditions; we respect their decisions. The whole idea here is to protect sovereign assets and rights, and that is what we are doing." Earlier, on December 19, following the announcement of a new multinational maritime group led by the United States to protect commercial ships, Lloyd Austin, the US Secretary of Defense, condemned the Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea once again. Austin, who was in Bahrain during a virtual meeting with ministers about "maritime security" in the Red Sea with representatives from 42 other countries, stated that the Houthis' "reckless" attacks are "a serious international problem... and these attacks require a decisive international response." The multinational maritime group led by the United States to combat Houthi attacks includes the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain. The US and its allies urged other countries not to encourage the Houthis in their attacks on ships. Continued Israeli attacks on Gaza; Netanyahu: The war will not stop until the release of hostages and the destruction of Hamas. Britain and Italy joined the US-led international operation to counter Houthi attacks. Austin stated that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea require a "decisive international response." The Houthis are creating costs for Israel and shipping companies; an international alliance for the security of the Red Sea. The US Secretary of Defense warned about Houthi attacks on the Islamic Republic while in Israel. Lloyd Austin is arriving in Israel today. Two other shipping companies have refrained from transiting through the Suez Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; Houthi attacks have made the Red Sea unsafe.