Martial threats
Houthis want to attack ships despite the US military alliance
December 19, 2023, 2:29 p.m
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The Houthi rebels are responding to the military coalition in the Red Sea forged by the USA with threats. They therefore want to continue attacking ships – without considering their own victims. Germany is currently considering participating in the American military alliance.
The Iran-allied Houthi rebels have said they will continue their attacks on ships in the region despite the formation of an international military coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea. “Even if the US succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not end,” said senior Houthi representative Mohammed al-Bukhaiti at X. The US announced the formation of the military coalition “Operation Prosperity Guardian” on Monday , in which nine other countries are involved in addition to the USA. Germany was initially not there.
It “doesn’t matter what sacrifices it costs us,” emphasized Houthi representative Buchaiti. A Houthi spokesman said the goal of the US-formed coalition was to protect Israel and “militarize the sea.” Anyone who escalates the conflict must “bear the consequences of these actions.”
According to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the United States formed the “multinational security initiative” called “Operation Prosperity Guardian” on Monday. In addition to the USA, it includes Bahrain, France, Great Britain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and Spain.
Germany is not initially involved. According to its own statements, the Federal Ministry of Defense is currently examining participation in the military protection of trade routes in the region. A request about this from Washington is being examined.
USA: “Unprecedented and unacceptable”
According to the French Ministry of Defense, the coalition held its first video conference this Tuesday morning. However, the ministry did not provide any information about the content or exact participants.
US Defense Secretary Austin, who is currently on a tour of the Middle East and the Gulf region, condemned the Houthi attacks. In a Pentagon statement, he called the attacks “unprecedented and unacceptable.” They threatened free trade.
On Monday, Austin said the deployment of the Red Sea Protection Coalition was intended to secure “freedom of navigation for all countries” and strengthen “regional security and prosperity.” The Pentagon chief had previously warned Israel: “Iran’s support of Houthi attacks on merchant ships must stop.”
Multiple attacks on Israel
Since the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia has repeatedly fired drones and rockets at Israel and attacked ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi rebels are threatening to attack any ship heading to Israel unless more food and medicine are allowed to be transported to the Gaza Strip.
The Red Sea is an important shipping route through which up to twelve percent of world trade passes. Yemen is located on the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
On Monday, the British oil company BP also announced that it would stop all trips through the Red Sea due to the repeated attacks. At the weekend, four major shipping companies announced that they would no longer sail their ships through the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, including the Danish company Maersk and the German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd.