US-Led Naval Force Might Not End Houthi Ship Attacks
If the multinational armada can’t fully protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea, direct strikes on the Yemeni rebels and Iranian assets will be needed.
USS Carney, right, carrier USS Eisenhower are off to hunt Houthis.
Photographer: Rafael Martie/US Navy/Getty Images
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has announced a new military effort in the Middle East: Operation Prosperity Guardian. It will bring together a coalition of nations to safeguard the dangerous waters of the Red Sea, North Arabian Sea and western Indian Ocean from surprisingly sophisticated attacks by Iranian-sponsored terrorists from the Houthi rebellion in Yemen.
In recent weeks, the Houthis have conducted an escalating series of attacks against merchant shipping using drones, ballistic missiles and commandos on helicopters and speedboats. As a video released by the Houthis shows, these well-equipped teams move with military precision.
The new mission is aptly named, as it is designed to protect the 15% of global shipping that passes through the region. The US Navy will command it through Task Force 153, a counterpiracy flotilla based in Bahrain. So far a robust group of nations have signed on: local states Bahrain and the Seychelles, as well as North Atlantic Treaty Organization members Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the UK. In addition, nearly 40 countries already participate in Task Force 153 and many are likely to soon join Operation Prosperity Guardian.