The Pentagon said yesterday, Thursday, that more than 20 countries in total have agreed to participate in the new US-led coalition to protect trade in the Red Sea from attacks by the Yemeni Houthi movement.
However, the new total indicates that at least 8 of the countries that have decided to join these efforts refuse to disclose their participation publicly, an indication of the political sensitivities of the process as regional tensions rise as a result of the war between the Palestinian resistance and Israel.
Major General Patrick Ryder said, “More than 20 countries have now agreed to participate,” explaining that Greece and Australia have announced joining. He added, “We will allow other countries to participate. It is up to them to talk about their accession.”
The United States launched Operation Prosperity Sentinel this week, saying at the time that more than a dozen countries had agreed to participate in an effort that would include joint patrols in the Red Sea waters near Yemen.
Each country will contribute what it can, Ryder said, describing the process as a “coalition of the willing.” He added in a press conference, “In some cases this will include ships, and in other cases it may include individuals, or other types of support.”
The crisis in the Red Sea worsened with the escalation of the war in Gaza, which led to the death of nearly 20,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Strip.
to threaten
The Houthis and Lebanese Hezbollah have fired missiles at Israel since the conflict began on October 7, following the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation carried out by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) against Israel.
Meanwhile, the Houthis intensified their attacks in the Red Sea, threatening to target all ships heading to Israel, and warning shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.
The attacks disrupted a major trade route linking Europe and North America to Asia via the Suez Canal, and caused container shipping costs to rise sharply, with companies seeking to ship their goods via often longer alternative routes.
These attacks caused confusion in the global trade movement, and the attacks restricted the passage of ships through the Suez Canal, through which about 12% of the global trade traffic passes.
The importance of the Grand Suez Canal is in transporting goods between Asia and Europe, but global shipping experts have warned that the confusion may spread throughout the world, unless the ships, containers and other equipment necessary to change the course of goods on alternative routes and ports are available.
The US, British and French navies responded by shooting down drones and missiles launched by the Houthis, measures that some critics in Washington say are not enough to dissuade the Houthis from continuing their attacks.
#Pentagon #countries #participate #Red #Sea #Alliance
2023-12-22 07:03:50
