US, allies discuss Red Sea maritime task force to protect ships from Houthi attacks

The US is looking to establish a naval task force with its allies to protect ships in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

"As you've heard yesterday…we are in discussions with our partners and our allies about a maritime task force," Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters.

The Houthis have attacked and seized a number of ships they say are linked to Israel in waters near Yemen since Israel began its brutal war on Gaza last October.

"It's important to highlight that the Houthi strikes against commercial vessels in international waters underscore the fact that this is an international problem," said Ryder.

"All three of these ships were sailing in international waters, representing a variety of countries in terms of where they were flagged and who they were crewed by. So those talks are ongoing,"

The spokesman said the maritime task force would be made up of 38 countries.

After demonstrating that their advanced missile and drone technology can reach Israel, the Houthis have expanded their focus to the Red Sea. Will Houthi-Israel tensions threaten security in Yemen and the Red Sea? https://t.co/juDiIiVdiZ

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) November 26, 2023

He said the coalition would not prescribe a specific level of participation from any member state.

"Those contributions are determined from each country and so therefore can vary depending on its ability to contribute assets and its availability to provide those assets at any given time."

Last month, in the first incident of its kind, the Iran-backed Houthis seized an Israel-linked cargo vessel, warning the US and their allies that they would attack more ships because of their support for Israel.

In the latest incidents, three commercial vessels came under attack in international waters in the southern Red Sea on Sunday. The Houthis said they had launched drone and missile attacks against what they said were two Israeli vessels in the area.

The Carney - a US Navy destroyer - shot down three drones as it answered distress calls from the commercial vessels. The US military says the three vessels were connected to 14 separate nations.

However, the Pentagon said on Monday that US warships may not be the intended target of Houthi attacks.