US forms coalition as Houthis vow continued attacks

Yesterday, the United States (US) announced the formation of a multinational coalition to protect international navigation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

In a press release from the US Department of Defense, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the new international coalition is "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."

The statement indicated that the initiative aims to "jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity."

The initiative, named ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’, is bringing together multiple countries including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain.

The formation of the initiative was first announced during Austin's visit to Tel Avi yesterday.

During a press conference following a meeting with Israel’s War Cabinet, Austin issued a joint statement with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. In it, he disclosed that on Tuesday, he would meet with defense ministers of countries in the region to discuss the matter.

Today, Austin visited the capital of Bahrain, Manama, where the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet are located, and the State of Qatar.

In a press release from the British Ministry of Defense today, Britain said that its Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Diamond would be joining the new international task force to protect ships in the region.

In response to the United States’ announcement, the Houthis vowed to continue their military operations in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The political spokesman for the militia, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said: “The American-formed coalition is to protect Israel and militarize the sea without any justification. [It] will not stop Yemen from continuing its legitimate operations in support of Gaza”.

Today, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations announced suspicious activity 80 nautical miles northeast of Djibouti, where four boats manned by groups of unarmed men approached a commercial vessel. The area was later cleared, and the crew reported safe.