US Announces 10-Nation Maritime Force to Combat Houthi Rebels in the Red Sea

The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels of Yemen have been launching attacks against commercial ships linked to Israel in the southern Red Sea in protest of Israel’s war on Gaza, which has killed more than 19,000 Palestinians. In response to these attacks, the United States has announced the establishment of a new multinational maritime security force to counter the rebels.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of a 10-nation security force on Tuesday in Bahrain. In addition to Bahrain, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain have agreed to join the new “multinational security initiative”. Some of these countries will conduct joint patrols in the southern parts of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden while others will support the force by providing intelligence.

A spokesperson for the Houthi group declared that they would not halt their attack on ships linked to Israel, despite the United States announcing a new maritime protection force.

“Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not stop…. No matter the sacrifices it costs us,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, said in a post on X on Tuesday.

He added that the Houthis would only halt their attacks if Israel’s “crimes in Gaza stop and food, medicines and fuel are allowed to reach its besieged population.”

Tags: Houthi Iran US