The U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg, has stated that the United States government remains vigilant towards threats in the Red Sea aimed at merchant ships and military personnel. The potential for escalated military action against Houthi fighters is under consideration should their attacks on commercial vessels in the region persist.
Buttigieg stressed, "The safety of U.S. mariners is a top priority for DOT's Maritime Administration. In coordination with DOD and US-flagged vessels, MARAD has an active advisory on the situation in the Red Sea and is working with partners on efforts for safe passage through the area."
According to a news release from the Department of Defense (DOD), Operation Prosperity Guardian was launched as a multinational maritime security initiative in response to the threat of Houthi attacks originating from Yemen. Navy Vice Administrator Brad Cooper noted that approximately 1,500 merchant ships have safely navigated through the Red Sea since mid-December when this initiative was put into effect. Cooper emphasized, "We are certainly mindful of the continued threat and expect the Houthi attacks may continue," adding, "I think really importantly, though, our actions in this defensive operation are not just through words, but through deeds."
As per the DOD news release, 25 attacks against merchant vessels operating in the Red Sea have been orchestrated by Houthi rebels since mid-November. This includes an unmanned surface vessel detonation within international shipping lanes on January 4th. Governments worldwide including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Australia and Bahrain have joined forces with the U.S. government to condemn these attacks and caution against further escalations.
Cooper explained further: "Our assessment is that 55 nations have direct connections to the ships who've been attacked, whether through the flagging state where goods were produced or destined or nationalities of innocent mariners aboard each vessel." He continued, "The impacts of these attacks stretch across the globe. This is an international problem that requires an international solution."
