Pentagon Claims More Than 20 Countries Join The American-led Red Sea Coalition

Illustration of the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) with the USS Antietam (CG-54). (Wikimedia Commons/National Museum of the US Navy)

JAKARTA - More than 20 countries have agreed to participate in the new US-led coalition to maintain commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthis, as more countries join the effort, the Department of Defense (Pentagon) said.

However, the new total number of Pentagons showed at least eight countries that had signed up, refusing to be publicly named, as a sign of political sensitivity in the operation, as regional tensions escalated due to the Israel-Hamas war.

"Currently there are more than 20 countries that have registered to participate," Major General PatrickRIDer said.

"We will allow other countries, submit to them to discuss their participation," he continued.

The United States launched the 'Operation Property Guardian' two days ago, saying more than a dozen countries had agreed to participate in efforts involving joint patrols in Yemen's near-Border waters.

Each country will contribute what they can, said Border, calling it "the coalition they want."

"In some cases, it will cover the ship. In other cases, it can include staff or other types of support," Ryder told a news conference.

The crisis in the Red Sea comes in line with the war between Israel and the ruling Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza.

The war began on October 7 when Hamas fighters stormed across the Gaza border into southern Israel, where Israeli authorities said the militants killed about 1,200 people, most of whom were Israeli civilians and foreigners.

Iranian proxies, including the Houthis and the Lebanese Hezbollah, have fired rockets at Israel since the conflict began. In addition, the group also stepped up their attacks on the Red Sea, threatening to target all ships bound for Israel and warning shipping companies not to deal with Israeli ports.

The attack has disrupted major trade routes linking Europe and North America with Asia through the Suez Canal, causing container shipping costs to rise sharply as companies seek to deliver their goods via alternative routes, which are often longer.

The US, British and French Navy have responded by shooting down Houthi drones and missiles, a defensive action that some critics in Washington say is insufficient to prevent the Houthis from continuing their attacks.