The United States will spearhead a multinational naval task force to protect ships in the Red Sea from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, the Department of Defense announced on Tuesday.
The new task force, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, will enlist the maritime resources of 10 nations to protect critical shipping lanes from Houthi drone and missile strikes launched in retaliation for the Israel-Hamas war.
“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in a statement published just after midnight. “Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.”
As Valuetainment has previously reported, the Houthi rebel forces that control most of northern Yemen have engaged in a series of long-range strikes and brazen hijackings against “Israel-linked” ships passing through the Red Sea. Nearly a dozen commercial ships have been bombed or boarded in recent weeks, and even U.S. Navy ships have been targeted by strikes.
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The Navy has reportedly shot down more than a dozen Houthi drones headed toward commercial ships.
As the route through the Red Sea becomes increasingly perilous, shipping companies including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd AG have paused all transit through the region, as did British Petroleum. Several companies have rerouted their ships around the southern end of Africa, adding considerable time to the journey without the benefit of the Suez Canal.
“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” Secretary Austin’s statement continued. In order to address this threat, Operation Prosperity Guardian will operate under the existing authority of Task Force 153, a subdivision of the 39-member Combined Maritime Forces that conducts antipiracy operations in the Red Sea.
The task force will bring together the forces of the U.S., the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain. Under this arrangement, military ships reportedly will not escort every cargo vessel in the area but rather provide strategic cover in key locations.
In response to the announcement, Houthi spokesman and negotiator Mohammed Abdel-Salam pledged that the militant group would continue its efforts until “the genocide in Gaza” ends.
“The American-formed coalition is to protect Israel and militarize the sea without any justification, and will not stop Yemen from continuing its legitimate operations in support of Gaza,” he wrote on X. “Whoever seeks to expand the conflict must bear the consequences of his actions.”
The U.S. Military has not previously launched strikes against the Houthis or their infrastructure, despite similar provocations in the past.
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