Pentagon says more than 20 countries have joined Red Sea coalition
(Baonghean.vn) - The Pentagon said on December 21 (local time) that a total of more than 20 countries have agreed to join the US-led coalition to protect trade in the Red Sea from attacks by Houthi forces in Yemen.
However, the Pentagon's latest figures also show that at least eight countries have signed up but have refused to be named publicly, a sign that the campaign is politically sensitive, given the rising tensions in the region due to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“We now have more than 20 countries signed up,” said Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, Pentagon press secretary. “We will allow other countries to make decisions about their participation,” he added.
The US launched Operation Prosperity Guardian two days ago, announcing more than a dozen countries had agreed to participate in an effort that includes joint patrols in Red Sea waters near Yemen.
Each country will contribute what it can, calling it a “coalition of the willing,” Mr. Ryder said at a news conference. “In some cases that will include ships. In other cases, it may include personnel or other forms of support,” he told a news conference.
The Red Sea crisis stems from a conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
The war began on October 7 when Hamas members crossed the Gaza border into southern Israel, where Israeli officials say about 1,200 people, mostly Israeli civilians and foreigners, were killed.
Israel retaliated by shelling and invading the coastal, densely populated enclave of Gaza, in a campaign Israeli officials say is aimed at destroying Hamas, killing nearly 20,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the densely populated coastal enclave.
Forces that the West sees as Iranian proxies, including the Houthis and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have fired missiles at Israel since the conflict began. Meanwhile, the Houthis have stepped up attacks in the Red Sea, threatening to target all ships heading to Israel and warning shipping companies not to trade with Israeli ports.
The attacks disrupted a vital maritime trade route linking Europe and North America with Asia via the Suez Canal and sent container shipping costs soaring as companies sought to ship their goods via longer alternative routes.
The US, British and French navies responded by shooting down Houthi drones and missiles, but some in Washington said the action was not enough to deter the Houthis from continuing their attacks.
