Washington- During a visit to Israel yesterday, Monday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of a “maritime task force” and reiterated that the increasing number of Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea represents an international problem that requires an international solution.
“These attacks are reckless, dangerous, and violate international law, so we are taking action to build an international coalition to confront this threat,” Austin said.
It is believed that Houthi militants in Yemen carried out approximately 12 attacks on commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea, including companies they believe are linked to Israel, in response to the aggression on the Gaza Strip after the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) attack on October 7.
As a safety precaution, several international shipping companies said they had informed their ships not to enter the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. Four of the five largest container companies in the world, representing 53% of global container trade, suspended their operations in the Red Sea, which represented a major shock to the global economy.
Raise the cost of conflict
In an interview with Tel Aviv Tribune Net, Charles Dunn, a former official at the White House and the US State Department and an expert at the Arab Institute in Washington, believed that “attacking ships in the Red Sea raises the cost of the conflict in Gaza on the international community, while realizing the exposure to major direct retaliation from Israel and the United States.” .
The Pentagon’s announcement of the establishment of a multinational maritime task force to protect commercial ships from Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which escalated in the wake of the war between Israel and Hamas, came as a surprise to American observers.
The task force will be known as “Operation Protecting Prosperity,” officials said. The countries participating in the new US effort include: Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, each of which will contribute ships and other resources.
For his part, Trita Parsi, Vice President of the Quincy Policy Institute and lecturer at Georgetown University in Washington, tweeted on the “X” platform, saying, “Not a single country in the Red Sea agreed to join the American coalition to protect it. Only one Arab country joined, Bahrain.” “What does this tell us about the appeal of President Joe Biden’s diplomacy? What would the coalition have looked like if Biden had supported the Gaza ceasefire?”
It seemed clear that there were no countries bordering the Red Sea. They are: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Djibouti, Eritrea and Israel.
Last December, the Egyptian Navy assumed command of a new naval division formed by the US Fifth Fleet under the name “Task Force 153” and established in 2019 by 34 countries to protect maritime shipping from Iranian attacks.
Egypt leads patrols in the Red Sea and the waters off the coast of Yemen to enhance surveillance activities and prohibit the transfer of weapons and drugs. According to the Pentagon’s plans, Cairo is in a good position to participate in a collective American-led effort against Iran and its allies.
The most important methods
The Red Sea is one of the world’s most important routes for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, as well as for consumer goods.
The oil giant, BP, has suspended all oil shipping operations through the Red Sea after recent attacks on ships by the Houthis. The company blamed the “deteriorating security situation,” and many shipping companies suspended their flights as the attacks continued.
Yesterday, Monday, Evergreen Line, one of the largest shipping companies in the world, announced that it would no longer transport Israeli shipments through the Red Sea. She explained, “For the safety of the ships and the crews working on them, we have decided to temporarily stop accepting Israeli goods with immediate effect, and we have instructed our container ships to suspend navigation through the Red Sea until further notice.”
Instead of using the Bab el-Mandab Strait, ships will now have to take a longer route around South Africa, which could add about 10 days to the journey and cost millions of dollars. Experts estimate that about 30% of global container trade passes through the Suez Canal.
Oil and natural gas prices rose sharply yesterday, Monday, and oil recorded sharp gains on the news. Brent crude, the most important global index, rose by 2.7% to $78.64 per barrel, while US oil rose by 2.8% to $73.44 per barrel.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM), whose geographical scope extends from Pakistan in the east to Egypt in the west, issued a statement published on the “X” platform, confirming that yesterday’s attacks had occurred on ships in the Red Sea.
She said, “On December 18, around nine o’clock in the morning (Sanaa time), two Houthi armed attacks took place on commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea. The chemical ship, the oil tanker SWAN ATLANTIC, was attacked by a unidirectional attack drone and a missile.” An anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
She added that the Cayman Islands, which flies the Sawan Atlantic flag, reported that the ship had been affected and requested assistance, and the nearest American warship responded to it to assess the damage.
The Central Command continued, “At approximately the same time, the cargo ship MF Clara reported an explosion near its location. This attack is separate from the attack on Sawan Atlantic. There was no request for support or report on damage. No casualties were reported during either incident.” “.
There were reports about alternatives that the Biden administration is considering to respond to the Houthis after their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, and the Axios news website quoted American officials as saying, “The Biden administration recently sent messages to the Houthis in Yemen through several channels warning them of the consequences of not stopping their attacks on ships and against… “Israel.”
Clear threat
Researcher Michael Knights, from the Washington Institute for Near East Studies, said that during the Gaza war, the Houthis emerged as “the most risk-tolerant member of the Iranian resistance axis, especially since they posed a clear threat to freedom of international navigation.”
Charles Dunn, a former White House official, suggested that there was “tactical coordination between Tehran and the Houthis, and perhaps some agreement on strategy, which are not far-fetched accusations.”
Since the start of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, the Houthis have pledged to support the Palestinian resistance in all possible ways, and indeed several medium-range missiles were launched, which were shot down before they hit their targets in Israel.
On December 9, the Houthis threatened to target all ships heading to Tel Aviv, regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.
Weeks ago, the Houthis shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, and on December 4, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said, “We are in talks with other countries about a naval task force that includes ships from partner countries, in addition to the United States.” United States to ensure safe passage in the Red Sea.
Some members of Congress have called on the Biden administration to reclassify the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued a statement saying, “By prioritizing politics over security, this administration has emboldened the Houthis, enabled them to develop more advanced weapons, enabled them to deepen relations with Iran, and consolidate their control over millions of innocent Yemenis.”
He added, “It is clear that the Houthis pose a threat to Yemen, to our partners throughout the Middle East, to American soldiers and citizens in the region, and to freedom of navigation and global trade. We must end this policy of appeasement and be serious about actually responding to the Houthi threat, by designating them a foreign terrorist organization.” “Instead of empowering them.”
Washington recently imposed new sanctions on people who support the Houthis financially, with the White House blaming Iran for supplying them with weapons and training to use them.