Military alliance for the Red Sea continues to grow
The USA is continuing to forge its military coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea - with success. Greece and Australia also want to take part. Germany is not quite ready yet.
According to the USA, more than 20 countries have so far declared their willingness to participate in the military alliance to protect ships in the Red Sea in the face of attacks by Houthi rebels. Since the announcement of "Operation Prosperity Guardian", Australia and Greece have also announced their participation, said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder on Thursday (local time).
He emphasized that the alliance was open to other countries. However, it was up to them to speak publicly about their participation. The crucial point is that this is an international problem that requires an international response. "So we will continue to work with this coalition of the willing, and all countries will be able to contribute what they feel they can," added the Ministry of Defense spokesperson. In some cases, this will include ships. In other cases, it could be personnel or other types of support.
The US officially launched the new alliance earlier this week to better protect the important shipping route through the Red Sea that leads to the Suez Canal. The US military is to cooperate even better with the armed forces of other countries in the region.
The Houthi rebels, supported by Israel's arch-enemy Iran, have been attacking Israel with drones and missiles since the outbreak of the Gaza war and attacking ships in the Red Sea to prevent them from sailing towards Israel. Major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, through which around ten percent of all global trade passes.
According to the US, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and the Seychelles are among those participating in the alliance. Germany is examining its participation. According to its own statements, Spain only wants to participate as part of an EU or NATO mission.
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Source: www.ntv.de
