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JUST IN: Fifth Fleet Admiral Calls for More Partners in Fight Against Houthis
The USS Mason, which is deployed to the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations to support maritime security in the Middle East.
Department of Defense photo
DOHA, Qatar — The U.S. Navy’s commander in the Middle East called for more partners to join the coalition protecting Red Sea shipping lanes from ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels.
In a speech before hundreds of naval leaders from across the region, Europe and Asia, Vice Adm. George Wikoff, Central Command commander of U.S. naval forces and Fifth Fleet commander, said the Yemen-based Houthi rebels’ use of ballistic missiles to create terrorism is historically unprecedented and “an affront” to nations who want to maintain full and open freedom of navigation in the global maritime commons, he said.
Wikoff asked for a “coalition [of] like-minded countries” to commit to protecting freedom of navigation while holding the Houthis accountable for their illegal and unjustifiable actions.
In October, Houthi rebels reportedly backed by Iran — and using Iranian-made ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones — began launching attacks against ships traversing the nearby Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in response to Israel’s operations in the Gaza Strip.
The attacks prompted the United States to organize a coalition of navies — Operation Prosperity Guardian — which currently has over 20 members, including some anonymous participants. The only Gulf nation to publicly take part in the coalition so far is Bahrain. Qatar —the host of the Middle East Naval Commanders Conference where Wikoff spoke — is not one of the publicly participating members.
Along with using air defense to shoot down missiles and drones, the coalition has been boarding vessels in an effort to prevent weapons from arriving in Yemen, he said.
The Houthis have conducted over 50 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since Oct. 17, according to a Feb. 26 Congressional Research Service report, including a Jan. 9 swarm of drones and missiles that targeted U.S. and U.K. naval vessels, with no damage reported.
The attacks have caused ships to take the long way from Europe to Asia around South Africa, which increases shipping costs. They are a threat to the global economy, Wikoff said.
A multi-national coalition — which Wikoff stressed was not part of Operation Prosperity Guardian — has struck military targets inside Yemen in order to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ ability to conduct strikes.
The Prosperity Guardian partners have set up a new Maritime Information Center to share information about the threats to commercial shippers, he added.
Topics: Global Defense Market, International
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