The Pentagon on Monday announced the establishment of a multinational naval task force to protect commercial ships from Houthi missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which have escalated in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
The task force will be known as “Operation Prosperity Guardian” and will build upon an existing counterpiracy mission in the region known as Task Force 153, officials said.
Participating countries in the new effort include the United States, the U.K., Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, each of whom will contribute ships and other resources.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in announcing the new operation, said this is an international challenge that demands collective action .
In recent weeks, Houthi militants in Yemen are believed to have carried out nearly a dozen attacks on commercial shipping, including companies the Houthis claim are linked to Israel, in response to Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack.
The strikes have increased concern that the war could spur a wider conflict in the Middle East, and U.S. officials have said the Houthis imperil a vital shipping lane.
