Saudis did not join Red Sea alliance out of fear, Israeli media say
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Reports circulating in Israeli media say Saudi Arabia did not join the US-led Red Sea alliance because it fears being attacked.
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The USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, passes a dock in Norfolk, Virginia, April 8, 2021 (AP)
Israeli media reveals the stance of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on joining the maritime alliance in the Red Sea formed by the United States and its allies to undermine Yemen's operations in support of the Palestinian people.
The Yemeni Armed Forces' operations in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, targeting ships bound for Israeli ports in occupied Palestine or Israeli-owned vessels, have had resounding effects all over the world.
Sanaa said no ships bound for occupied Palestine nor any Israeli vessels would be allowed to pass through the Red Sea until aid is allowed to enter Gaza as the stifling blockade on the Strip continues to claim more lives and worsen the living conditions of the Palestinian people.
Israeli media has disclosed the position of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates regarding joining the maritime alliance in the Red Sea to address threats from Yemen.
Kan Arab affairs commentator Roi Kaiss said the sole Arab country that explicitly joined the US-formed alliance, with one Bahraini source reportedly telling him that it was due to the fifth fleet of the US navy in Bahrain.
Saudi Arabia, he added, has not joined Prosperity Guardian as earlier reports indicated it sought an end to its war on Yemen.
According to Kais, Saudi Arabia was seeking an agreement to end its war on Yemen completely, but it also refrained from joining the alliance because it was afraid of being attacked due to its collaboration with the hostile parties attempting to disrupt regional stability.
The Arab affairs commentator said the UAE has confirmed that it was considering joining the maritime alliance in the Red Sea but only if the United States approves a significant strike against Sanaa.
Operation Prosperity Guardian
In response to Yemen's operations, whose aim is to allow the entry of aid to Gaza, and under the guise of securing international maritime trade routes, the US military launched "Operation Prosperity Guardian" late on Monday.
The US Department of Defense announced that its "security initiative" will work under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153.
The United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain, will be among the countries jointly working with the Pentagon to "address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity," the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said.
According to the Associated Press, which cited an unnamed defense official, several other countries have also agreed to be involved in the operation, however, they prefer not to be named.
The United Kingdom, France, Spain, and the United States already have substantial naval presence in the region, with the US leading the coalition in terms of the number of and quality of deployed naval assets.
Read more: US-created anti-Yemen coalition to be filthiest in history: Sanaa
YAF imposes siege on "Israel"
In recent days, both Western media and shipping conglomerates have attempted to frame the YAF's operations as a threat to international trade. However, Yemen's military has made it clear, in every statement announcing a strike on a vessel, that its operations only target ships heading to Israeli ports or Israeli-owned ships. The YAF has also reassured all other vessels of safe travels if they successfully identify their final destinations.
US' CENTCOM has also participated in a misinformation campaign, seeking to vilify Sanaa's support to the Palestinian people. Coinciding with an announcement made by the YAF on Saturday, regarding an attack on Israeli targets in "Eilat" in southernmost occupied Palestine, CENTCOM said that it "shot down" several attack drones "with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries."
The statement presumed that the drones endangered vessels in the Red Sea, which was refuted by the YAF's statement.
