While the US is trying to put on a united front to prevent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, many US allies are reluctant to participate in the task force that’s been formed, formally known as Operation Prosperity Guardian, Reuters reported on Thursday.
The Pentagon claims 20 countries are participating in the operation, but the US has only announced 12. “We’ll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters last week.
Even some of the countries the US said were members of the coalition have issued statements distancing themselves from it. After the US announced the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian and said Spain was a participant, Madrid denied its involvement. The Spanish Defense Ministry said it “will not participate unilaterally in the Red Sea operation.”
Italy, which was also included in the US announcement, said it would send a frigate to protect Italian shipping interests but made clear the deployment was not part of the US-led operation.
Notably absent from the coalition is Saudi Arabia, one of the US’s main partners in the region. The US has backed Riyadh in a war against the Houthis since 2015, but Saudi Arabia is now seeking peace and fears its involvement could provoke Houthi attacks on its oil infrastructure. Bahrain is the only Arab country that the US said was part of the operation.
The Houthis started the attacks against Israel-linked shipping due to the Israeli onslaught in Gaza and said they won’t stop until the siege ends. Countries are likely reluctant to participate in the US-led coalition because they don’t want to appear to be supporting the Israeli massacre, which has killed over 21,000 Palestinians.
On Thursday, the US announced new sanctions targeting a financial network allegedly tied to the Houthis over the attacks in the Red Sea. There’s no sign the Houthis will back down in the face of US sanctions or other actions.
“Countries are likely reluctant to participate in the US-led coalition because they don’t want to appear to be supporting the Israeli massacre” – that’s correct. Only crazy politicians would like to participate in this conflict on Israeli/US side. Zionists can get the help only from some crazy criminals.
When a rag tag of bunch of desert nomads are the only people putting up any fight, while the sophisticated countries in that region sit at the sideline and just bark.
Hey, White House, stop making announcement designed to show what a great job you’re doing. I thought Biden commanded respect and admiration around the world and was going to unite our allies. It must be hard to impossible for some to believe the Executive Wing of the US government is run by incompetents.
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Looks like all the Houthis have to do is block the Bad-el-Mandeb strait and all ships, including those of the US Navy, will be trapped in the Red Sea.
And all I have to do is get a trillion dollars and I’ll be a trillionaire. So?
Mines, drones, and missiles, Thomas, lots of them, all supplied by Iran.
And why would Iran want to supply mines, drones, and missiles for a fool’s errand that would, at its very most “successful” outcome, accomplish nothing more than providing a more convincing casus belli for its enemies?
That would be your opinion. Here is another opinion…
“Because if the Straussian neo-cons in the Beltway get really unhinged by the paradigm shift and act in desperation to “teach a lesson” to Iran, a chokepoint Hormuz-Bab al-Mandeb combo blockade might skyrocket the price of oil to at least $500 a barrel, triggering the implosion of the $618 trillion derivatives market and crashing the entire international banking system.” – Pepe Escobar
I don’t disagree that “a chokepoint Hormuz-Bab al-Mandeb combo blockade might skyrocket the price of oil,” etc.
I disagree that it’s plausible for the Houthis, with or without Iranian assistance, to create anything resembling such a chokepoint.
$500 a barrel? That is not going to happen.
That would take place if US attacks Houthis… and US does not want to do that… The strait is open to international shipping, but the military targets are those heading to Israel…!
How do they know which ships are header to where?
Easier said than done.
We’re sanctioning the Houthis? Oh, good. That’ll teach them. Here’s an idea. Have we thought about sanctioning the homeless who live in our streets? I’m sure they would be forced to return home since we can bring down their “financial network.”
The US allies are getting smarter and disobedient to US demands…! This is definitely sign of US hegemony diminishing…!
Bahrain is obligated to do so since it hosts the US fifth fleet…!
With Bahrain on board, the US doesn’t really need any other county’s help.
20 or 12 countries do not make a difference…! The coalition cannot do jackshit…! Red Sea is 250-300 miles wide and anything can happen there to those naval vessels and cargo ships heading to Israel…!
“Operation Prosperity Guardian”
Really, you can’t make this shit up, though I suppose a more prosaic name like operation 6, 456, 231 doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it.