Updates: US Considers Striking Iranian-Backed Houthis In Yemen
The US is also bolstering relations with Bahrain And Qatar which neighbors Yemen, underscoring defense partnerships.
WASHINGTON - The Biden Administration is reportedly considering carrying out strikes on the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen after the latest attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea impacted the global economy and threatened commercial shipping in the region.
The news comes as the United States establishes an international task force dubbed "Operation Prosperity Guardian" to protect "critical global shipping" against the rising attacks on commercial vessels in and around the Red Sea.
"This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea," Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said, "As we are driving to stabilize the region, Iran is raising tensions by continuing to support terrorist groups and malicious attacks by these Iranian proxies who threaten the region and risk a broader conflict. Of course, the United States does not seek war. And we urgently call on Iran to take steps to de-escalate".
He added that the United States is "committed to freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways and outlined the ways Houthi attacks are destabilizing maritime security".