20 Nations Join US-led Coalition Seeking End To Houthi Strikes On Red Sea Shipping

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been repeatedly targeting vessels in the busy Red Sea with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, where the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are battling militant group Hamas.

Meanwhile, more than 20 countries have so far joined a US-led coalition to protect the vital international waterway from the frequent Houthi attacks, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder told journalists on Thursday.

Ryder said the Houthi rebels are “attacking the economic wellbeing and prosperity of nations around the world,” effectively becoming “bandits along the international highway that is the Red Sea.” He called on the group to cease their attacks.

Israeli Strikes Killing 20,000 Gazans: Hamas Government

The Red Sea is one of the world’s key global trade corridors, overseeing some 12% of global trade and nearly one-third of global container traffic. Tucked between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Sudan, the busy route is an entryway to the Suez Canal.

The latest round of the Israel-Hamas violence started when the Palestinian group unleashed a shock cross-border attack on October 7 that claimed about 1,200 lives in Israel, amid some 240 Israelis taken hostage as well.

Pledging to destroy Hamas, Israel then started a relentless bombardments of targets in the Palestinian enclave, alongside a ground invasion. Gaza’s Hamas government on Wednesday said Israeli strikes have killed at least 20,000 people.

Firms Rerouting Vessels, Suspending Operations

The fatalities have provoked anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks by armed groups in the region, including the Houthi strikes. The US announced the coalition on Monday, while the rebels two days later warned of striking back if attacked.

The Houthis control vast swaths of northern Yemen, following a long effort to gain power that ultimately plunged the country into a civil war in 2014. After years of fighting between the rebels and a Saudi-led coalition, at least 377,000 people had been killed by 2021, as per UN.

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Concerned by the Houthi strikes, a growing list of major energy companies and shipping firms have rerouted their vessels or suspended operations in the Red Sea. For now, that will just mean delays, higher costs and disruptions – not the complete upending of global trade.