The American Secretary of Defense announced Monday, December 18, the formation in the Red Sea of a coalition of ten countries, in order to face repeated attacks by the Houthis against ships that these Yemeni rebels consider to be “linked to Israel”. In addition to the United States, Lloyd Austin indicated in a press release that France, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the Seychelles would take part in this coalition.
“The recent escalation of reckless Houthi attacks from Yemen threatens the free flow of trade, endangers the lives of innocent sailors and violates international law,” he said. “That is why today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian,” added the Pentagon chief.
Visiting Israel, Lloyd Austin earlier called on Iran to stop its “support” for Houthi operations against commercial shipping, following talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel is not one of the states mentioned by the Pentagon chief as being part of the Red Sea coalition.
In 2019, Washington launched a naval coalition to protect maritime transport in Gulf waters, after a series of attacks attributed by the United States to Iran, which denied being behind them.
BP and Evergreen in turn suspend all transit
Maritime transport risks disruptions after multiple attacks by the Houthis. The British hydrocarbons giant BP and the Taiwanese maritime transport giant Evergreen announced on Monday that they were suspending all transit in the Red Sea. Friday and Saturday, several major players in global maritime transport made the same decision.
“The safety and security of our employees and those who work on our behalf are BP’s priority,” said the company, which also said in a press release that this pause will be constantly reassessed “based on circumstances as 'they evolve in the region'.
Evergreen explains in a note to its customers that due to “the escalation of the war situation in recent days [it] will temporarily suspend imports and exports of freight from or to Israel due to of increasing risks and security considerations, with immediate effect and until further notice”.
Ships with ties to Israel targeted
After attacks perpetrated by Houthi rebels from Yemen, the Danish Maersk, the German Hapag-Lloyd, the French CMA CGM and the Italian-Swiss MSC had announced in recent days that their ships would no longer use the Red Sea. until further notice,” at least until Monday or until passage “is safe.”
In recent weeks, Yemeni rebels, close to Iran, have increased attacks near the strategic Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa, and through which 40% of international trade passes.
The Houthis have warned they will target ships sailing off the coast of Yemen with links to Israel, in response to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Several missiles and drones were shot down by warships patrolling the area. An explosion occurred on Monday on this maritime route off the coast of Yemen, two maritime security agencies announced.
Passage of 20,000 ships per year
On Saturday, a US destroyer shot down more than a dozen drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the Red Sea, the US military announced.
The head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, visiting Israel, declared on Sunday that the attacks in the Red Sea perpetrated by Houthi rebels “cannot remain unanswered”.
The Red Sea is a “sea highway” connecting the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, and therefore Europe to Asia. Around 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal each year, the entry and exit point for ships passing through the Red Sea. Concerns over supply difficulties via the Red Sea trade route, coupled with the weakness of the dollar, pushed oil prices higher on Monday.
The affected companies represent “about half of the global container shipping market,” Albert Jan Swart, an analyst at ABN Amro, told Reuters. “Avoiding the Red Sea will result in higher costs due to longer travel times,” he added.
Updated December 19 at 2:15 a.m.: Added the creation of a coalition by the United States.
