Houthis show no sign of ending 'reckless' Red Sea attacks
Newsy
The top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said more nations are joining the international maritime mission to protect vessels.
Yemen's Houthi rebels show no signs of ending their "reckless" attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, according to the top commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East who made the comments on Saturday. The message comes even as more nations join the international maritime mission to protect vessels in the vital waterway and trade traffic begins to pick up.
Since Operation Prosperity Guardian was announced just over 10 days ago, 1,200 merchant ships have traveled through the Red Sea region, and none has been hit by drone or missile strikes, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said.
He said additional countries are expected to sign on. Denmark was the latest, announcing Friday it plans to send a frigate to the mission that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced during a visit to Bahrain, where the Navy's 5th Fleet is based, saying that "this is an international challenge that demands collective action."
The Iran-backed Houthis say their attacks are aimed at Israel-linked ships in an effort to stop the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
The narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and then the Suez Canal. The crucial trade route links markets in Asia and Europe. The seriousness of the attacks, several of which have damaged vessels, led multiple shipping companies to order their vessels to hold in place and not enter the strait until the security situation improved.
