Red Sea Security Alert: US Leads Formation of International Task Force to Safeguard Commercial Vessels Amidst Houthi Attacks

The US military announced on Tuesday that it is ready to help set up a new international maritime task force to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea from Houthi rebel attacks. The move comes after a series of missile and drone strikes by the Iran-backed Houthis on Sunday, which targeted three commercial ships and a US warship in the area.

US and allies launch a maritime task force to protect shipping in the Red Sea (Ryan U. Kledzik/US Navy/File)

Attacks by the Houthi directly endanger international trade and security.

The Pentagon said the Houthi strikes on Sunday threatened international trade and marine security and endangered crews from numerous nations. The USS Carney shot down three drones responding to the strikes because it was nearby. The US said it would “consider all appropriate responses” to the assaults and blamed Iran for them.

Houthis dominate large parts of northern Yemen. Since 2015, they have fought a Saudi-led alliance supporting the internationally recognized government. Fighting in Yemen has increased, causing a humanitarian crisis. Houthi strikes on Saudi oil facilities, airports, and Israeli ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are suspected.

On Sunday, the Houthis threatened to block Israeli ships from crossing the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until Israel stopped fighting their “steadfast brothers” in Gaza. Israel and Hamas have fought since November. The war has killed hundreds and displaced thousands.

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The US and its allies seek to enhance maritime security in the Red Sea

The US said it would help form a new maritime task force with allies to protect merchant vessels in the Red Sea, a critical trade and energy route. In 2001, 39 nations formed the Combined Maritime Forces to combat terrorism and piracy in the Middle East. The US has a structure for such a task force.

The Pentagon would not disclose the membership or scope of the new task force, but said conversations with regional partners and allies are “ongoing.”. After Iranian threats to merchant shipping in the Arabian Sea, the US ruled out having Marines board commercial vessels for security, as some sources had proposed earlier this year.

The US and its partners hope the new task force will deter Houthi attacks and protect Red Sea commercial vessels and crews. The US hopes the new move will persuade Iran to quit helping the Houthis and resume negotiations on resurrecting the 2015 nuclear deal, which has been frozen for months.

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