President Joe Biden, looking to present a united front against the Yemeni Houthi rebels' assault on Red Sea shipping assets, is poised to launch a maritime task force. This developed occurred a week after United States allies stated their reluctance to be involved.
Two allies, Italy and Spain, each issued statements appearing to distance themselves from the task force, deemed "Operation Prosperity Guardian".
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, designating it "an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea."
According to the Pentagon, the force is defensive in nature and is comprised of over 20 nations. Their goal is to ensure that cargo ships and other maritime commerce continue to flow freely through the Red Sea corridor off the coast of Yemen.
Who Is Involved?
However, nearly half of those countries involved have not come forward to acknowledge any contributions or have stopped the United States from doing so. Contributions can be anything from military escorts to simply sending staffing personnel.
According to an article by Reuters, the U.S. has claimed that 20 countries joined its maritime task force, yet it has disclosed the names of only 12.
"We'll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation," U.S. Major General Patrick Ryder told reporters last week.
This reluctance, according to Reuters, by some nations to openly pledge support for this coalition reflects an increasing hesitance to support the conflict in Gaza as Biden maintains firm support of Israel as international criticism continues to grow. Gaza's health ministry says the Israeli offensive has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians.
"European governments are very worried that part of their potential electorate will turn against them," said David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid.
The Houthis rebels are allegedly backed by Iran, an assertion which Iran denies, and are named for a tribe in Northern Yemen, have attacked or seized dozens of ships since November 19. The same Reuters article went on to reveal that the goal is to punish Israel for its current military campaign in Gaza, which followed the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel by Hamas militants.
The navies of the United States, Britain, and France have each shot down Houthi-launched drones or missiles.
The Red Sea is a historic entry point for ships using the Suez Canal and an estimated 12% of the world's trade passes through the region and is a vital connector between Asia and Europe.
Since the attacks initially began, ships have been rerouted around Africa's Cape of Good Hope. This has greatly increased the time and costs of shipping.
