U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announces the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian against the Houthis. The Pentagon announced the details of this multinational initiative. The main goal of the operation is to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
In the Red Sea region, the problem of seafarers’ protection and compliance with international law has become more acute. The US Department of Defense said in a statement that the free flow of trade is threatened by the recent escalation of Houthi attacks from Yemen.
The Pentagon believes that the Red Sea is a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade. Countries that want to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation should unite to solve the problem of the group’s actions. The Houthis have been launching ballistic missiles and UAVs at merchant ships from many countries that legally cross international waters.
“This is an international challenge that requires collective action,” the statement said.
The multinational initiative will focus on security in the Red Sea. Operation Prosperity Guardian brings together several countries, including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
As a reminder, Yemeni Houthis are fighting in the Red Sea. They attacked ships of other states.
In early December, a warship and several US commercial vessels were attacked. And recently, the French frigate Languedoc was attacked using a UAV.
Conflict in the region could lead to global changes in world trade. In the long run, India, which is actively promoting an alternative transportation route between Asia and Europe, is likely to reap tangible dividends from the Houthis’ actions. But the losers from this scenario are China, Iran and Russia, which, oddly enough, have been the ones who have made this “mess” in the Middle East.
