US announces creation of new multinational task force to counter Houthi threat in Red Sea

The US has announced the creation of a new multinational task force to counter Houthi threat in Red Sea. The 10 nation Task Force, named as Operation Prosperity Guardian will include the Navies of Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles Spain and United Kingdom.

During a briefing, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Houthis have violated international law by harassing ships in the Red Sea. The new security initiative will address the



security challenges in the southern Red Sea,the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Yemen and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity, Mr Austin added.

The Iran-backed Houthis rebel group has been continuously attacking multiple merchant vessels and forced companies to suspend routes through the region for the past weeks.