Operation Prosperity Guardian

Operation Prosperity Guardian
Part of the Red Sea crisis and the Yemeni civil war
Date18 December 2023 – present
(4 months, 3 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Status Ongoing
Belligerents

 Yemen (SPC)

 United States Navy[1]
 Royal Navy
 Royal Australian Navy
 Royal Bahrain Naval Force
 Royal Canadian Navy
 Royal Danish Navy
 Finnish Navy
 Hellenic Navy
 Royal Netherlands Navy
 Royal New Zealand Navy[2]
 Royal Norwegian Navy
 Republic of Singapore Navy
 Sri Lanka Navy[3]
Supported by:
 Seychelles Coast Guard
Commanders and leaders
Strength
Yemen Unclear (see Houthi armed strength) Unknown
Casualties and losses
10 deaths, 2 injured[6] Unknown

Bab-el-Mandeb transits by cargo vessels
over 10,000 deadweight tonnage (approx.)
[7]

         Before attacks

         After first Houthi ship seizure/attack (19 November 2023)

         After naval protection operation started (18 December 2023)

         After US/UK attack on Yemen mainland (12 January 2024)

100
200
300
400
500
600
45 Week in 2023
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
1 Week in 2024
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Operation Prosperity Guardian is a United States-led military operation by a multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.[8]

Following the breakout of the ongoing Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, the Houthi movement in Yemen blockaded Israel in the Red Sea and launched a series of attacks against commercial vessels heading or related to Israel, with the stated purpose of preventing the bombing of Gaza and forcing Israel to let food and medicine into the strip.[9][10][11] On 18 December 2023, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formation of an international maritime security force aimed at ending the blockade[12] and countering threats by Houthi forces against international maritime commerce in the region.[13]

The coalition currently has more than 20 members, of which ten are anonymously involved.[14][15] Egypt and Saudi Arabia, both economically reliant on unhindered commercial shipping in the area, are absent from the listed participants.[16] France, Italy and Spain have also declined to participate.[17] The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, Usama Rabia, claimed that "navigation traffic in the Suez Canal was not affected by what is happening in the Red Sea".[18] Nevertheless, on 10 January, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution demanding a cessation of Houthi attacks on merchant vessels.[19]

The day of the UNSC resolution, the Houthis launched their largest-ever barrage of 18–24 attack drones and missiles at international ships and warships in the Red Sea.[20][21] In response, on 12 January, the coalition launched its first airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, to which the Houthis have pledged to retaliate.[22]

  1. ^ "Statement from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on Ensuring Freedom of Navigation in the Red Sea". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ "NZ to deploy six NZDF staff to Red Sea, PM announces". 1 News. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  3. ^ Mallawarachi, Bharatha (9 January 2024). "Sri Lanka to join US-led naval operations against Houthi rebels in Red Sea". ABC News. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  4. ^ Wickham, Alex; McBride, Courtney (11 January 2024). "UK's Sunak Authorizes Joint Military Strikes Against Houthis". Bloomberg. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Diamond was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "US sinks 3 ships, kills 10 after Houthi Red Sea attack". Reuters. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  7. ^ Diakun, Bridget; Meade, Richard (19 January 2024). "Red Sea shipping is now divided down lines of risk appetite and national security". Lloyd's List Intelligence. Archived from the original on 6 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  8. ^ Zhdannikov, Dmitry; Armstrong, Rachel (22 December 2023). "What is U.S.-led Red Sea coalition and which countries are backing it?". Reuters. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  9. ^ Chen, Heather; Michaelis, Tamar (10 December 2023). "Israel ready to act against Houthi rebels if international community fails to, official says". CNN. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023.
  10. ^ Copp, Tara; Baldor, Lolita C. (19 December 2023). "Pentagon announces new international mission to counter attacks on commercial vessels in Red Sea". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  11. ^ Michael Callahan; Haley Britzkey (18 December 2023). "Austin announces US-led security operation focusing on Red Sea, Gulf of Aden after Houthi attacks on commercial shipping". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  12. ^ Johnson, Jake (23 December 2023). "Biden Urged Not to Attack Yemen Over Houthi Blockade of Israel in Red Sea". Truthout. Archived from the original on 23 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Yemen's Houthis warn they will target all ships headed to Israel". Reuters. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023. A Houthi military spokesperson said all ships sailing to Israeli ports are banned from the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea."If Gaza does not receive the food and medicine it needs, all ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces," the spokesperson said in a statement.
  14. ^ Altman, Howard (19 December 2023). "Red Sea Maritime Coalition Much Bigger Than Originally Disclosed". The Drive. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  15. ^ "More than 20 countries join coalition to protect Red Sea shipping, says Pentagon". The Times of Israel. 21 December 2023. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  16. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (19 December 2023). "US announces naval coalition to defend Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  17. ^ Amante, Angelo; Irish, John; Landauro, Inti; Bose, Nandita (12 January 2024). "Europe split over US, UK strikes on Houthis in Yemen". Reuters. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  18. ^ "أسامة ربيع: حركة الملاحة في قناة السويس لم تتأثر بما يحدث في البحر الأحمر". مصراوي.كوم (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 18 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Adopting Resolution 2722 (2024) by Recorded Vote, Security Council Demands Houthis Immediately Stop Attacks on Merchant, Commercial Vessels in Red Sea | UN Press". press.un.org. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  20. ^ "What is Operation Prosperity Guardian, US-led mission to protect Red Sea shipping?". The Independent. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  21. ^ Tegler, Eric. "Destroyers Shot Down 24 Houthi Missiles And Drones: That'll Be $17 Million". Forbes. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Houthi rebels vow fierce retaliation after American and British strikes against them". AP News. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024.

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search