Over 20 Nations Form Alliance To Safeguard Shipping in the Red Sea: Pentagon

Washington The Pentagon said on Thursday that more than 20 nations have joined the US-led alliance to defend Red Sea ships from Houthi rebel strikes in Yemen.
The Houthis, who are supported by Iran, have struck many ships in the crucial maritime channel, claiming their actions are in support of the Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is at war with the Hamas organization.

As of right moment, more than 20 countries have committed to joining the coalition, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder said to reporters.

According to Ryder, the Houthis are essentially turning into “bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea,” “attacking the economic wellbeing and prosperity of nations around the world.”

He called on the Houthis to stop their assaults, saying that coalition troops would “serve as a highway patrol of sorts, patrolling the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden to respond to — and assist as necessary — commercial vessels that are transiting this vital international waterway.”

The Palestinian Hamas organization launched a surprise cross-border strike on October 7 that killed over 1,140 people in Israel, according to an AFP count based on Israeli numbers. This marked the start of the most recent phase of the Israel-Hamas war.

Israel launched a heavy bombing of Gaza targets and a ground invasion on Wednesday, which the Hamas administration in Gaza said had killed at least 20,000 people. Israel had pledged to destroy Hamas.

These murders have sparked intense resentment across the Middle East and served as fuel for armed groups’ operations, such as the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

On Monday, the United States announced the formation of the international Red Sea coalition. Two days later, the Huthis issued a warning, threatening to retaliate if attacked.