The United States on Tuesday launched a multinational operation to protect trade in the Red Sea, where Houthi attacks have forced major shipping companies to change their routes, raising concerns about ongoing disruptions to global trade.
Since last month, the Houthi group has launched drones and missiles at international ships sailing through the Red Sea, attacks that it says come in response to the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, which is run by the Hamas movement.
The following are the highlights of the Houthi statement:
• The international coalition that America announced under the pretext of protecting maritime navigation in the Red Sea is an alliance to protect Israel and Israeli ships.
• This alliance represents an integral part of the aggression against the Palestinian people and Gaza.
• The coalition aims to encourage the Zionist entity to continue its brutal crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
• The coalition contradicts international law and does not protect maritime navigation, but rather threatens it and seeks to militarize the Red Sea for the benefit of the entity Israel.
• Our operations only target Israel or ships heading to its ports.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the launch of a multinational security operation by the United States to secure trade in the Red Sea.
Austin, who is visiting Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the US Fleet in the Middle East, said that the countries participating in the operation include Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
Reuters quoted the US Secretary of Defense as saying in a statement, “This is an international challenge that requires collective action,” announcing the launch of the “Guardian of Prosperity” initiative.
During an online meeting with ministers from more than 40 countries, Austin called on other countries to contribute and denounced the Houthis’ “reckless actions.”
The Houthis intensified their attacks with missiles and drones, which they began last month, on international ships passing through the Red Sea, in response to Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip.
The attacks that occurred this week forced the major British oil company, BP, and other shipping companies, such as the Danish Maersk, to change the route of shipments that usually pass through the Suez Canal, to go around the Cape of Good Hope, which increased time and costs.
#Houthis #Guardian #Prosperity #coalition #seeks #militarize #Red #Sea
2023-12-20 00:38:10
