Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
The Israeli Walla! website: We are running out of stockpiles, our forces are exhausted, and the lives of the captives are in danger. It is time for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Several wounded in an Israeli bombardment of a tent in al-Mawasi, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Three wounded, three killed in an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent in southern Lebanon: Israeli artillery shelling targets the outskirts of the town of Shebaa
Al-Qassam Brigades: The targeting took place at the intersection of 'Street 5' with the western line north of Khan Younis
Al-Qassam Brigades: A NIMR armored personnel carrier carrying an Israeli soldier was targeted with an Al-Yassin missile north of Khan Younis
Israeli media: At least two soldiers killed by anti-tank missile fired at Israeli army forces in the Gaza Strip
Local Syrian sources: Mortar shells fell on more than nine villages in the Sweida countryside
Local Syrian sources: Dozens of dead and wounded have arrived at Sweida hospitals as a result of ongoing clashes at several locations in the western Sweida countryside
Local sources: Civilians, including children and women, were injured in the al-Maqous neighborhood of Sweida, in Syria, as a result of ongoing clashes

US allies hesitant to join anti-Sanaa Red Sea coalition

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Reuters + Agencies
  • 28 Dec 2023 18:12
  • 4 Shares
5 Min Read

Major member countries have announced stepping back or scaling down on commitment to the alliance, including France.

  • x
  • US allies hesitant to join anti-Sanaa Red Sea coalition
    The French Aquitaine-class frigate FS Languedoc (D653), front, sails alongside the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Mediterranean Sea, March 27, 2021 (US Navy)

By forming a new marine force, US President Joe Biden sought to offer a robust international reaction to Yemen's Armed Forces attacks on vessels in the Red Sea,  but a week later, many allies are refusing to be affiliated with it, officially or otherwise.

Around a week has passed since the Pentagon announced the launching of Operation Prosperity Guardian, which will include contributions from 20 nations. However, it continues to be haunted by the reluctant participation of its members and uncertainty behind the operation's objectives.

Major member countries have announced stepping back or scaling down on commitment to the alliance, including France, which said it will not be operating under Washington's orders and will limit its operations to protect EU vessels, and Spain, which declared it will not participate entirely.

The Italian military ministry stated that it will deploy a ship to the Red Sea in response to requests from Italian ship owners, rather than as part of the US operation. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have previously said that they had no interest in the operation.

After all, "Israel" has killed more than 21,000 Palestinians and some nations are not as adamant on supporting the Israeli occupation as the US may be.

David Hernandez, a professor of international relations at the Complutense University of Madrid told Reuters that European leaders are "very worried" their voters will turn against them since the European public is becoming highly critical of Israeli actions. 

Shipping giants Hapag-Lloyd and Evergreen Line told CNN on Wednesday that their vessels will continue to avoid the Red Sea and sail around Africa, despite the US announcing its operation.

Many officials and maritime experts are doubting the group's effectiveness in facing Yemeni attacks, especially given the asymmetric warfare Sanaa is capable of engaging in, which mainly includes the extremely low financial costs of attacks - drones valued at a few thousand dollars - compared to high expenses of repelling them with multi-million dollars interceptor missiles.

The increased risk of participating countries being targeted by the YAF along with the increased support for Palestine particularly in Western Europe would explain the hesitation.

A senior military Indian official also told Reuters that the government is worried about becoming a target by aligning itself with the US.

Related News

EU rallies allies as Trump tariff threats push trade tensions higher

Supreme Court clears fast-track deportations to random third countries

US under pressure from multiple fronts

The US drive to garner international backing for its Red Sea security campaign comes as the US is under attack from resistance groups in the region on numerous fronts.

Resistance forces have attacked US bases in both Syria and Iraq.

According to Michael Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East during the Trump administration, the Pentagon's purpose with the new maritime coalition appears to be to make any future YAF attacks an international matter to separate them from the war on Gaza.

"Once the military vessels in Operation Prosperity Guardian start protecting commercial shipping and come under a direct attack, (the Houthis) will be attacking the coalition, not just the U.S.," Mulroy claimed.

Yemeni Armed Forces have 'upper hand' over US in Red Sea

According to an analysis by Michael Horton in Responsible Statecraft, the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) attacks in the Red Sea are not only "creating a global shipping crisis" but are also "paying hefty political and even strategic dividends" for the Yemenis.

Yemeni sources told Horton that not only are Yemeni citizens rushing to join Ansar Allah, but numerous Yemeni businesses and citizens are also contributing to the effort financially, which increases the regional power of the YAF.

Horton notes that despite the hefty price the Yemeni people will pay due to Yemeni import disruptions, they are still "hardwired for resilience and adaptability."

The author explains that while the US and its allies focus on costly "defensive measures", Ansar Allah has "factories, many of which are located in hard-to-target dense urban areas, which can manufacture — supplies permitting—dozens to hundreds of low-end drones per week."

Horton expresses that while the US and its friends have enough power to repel the YAF in the short term, he believes such a campaign will need to be sustained for months and be extremely costly to everyone involved. He notes that Ansar Allah are "masters of asymmetric warfare," emphasizing that the group will respond to attacks by possibly targeting Saudi and UAE energy infrastructure, which is one of the reasons why Saudi Arabia did not join the maritime coalition. 

The author admits that the Yemeni Armed Forces "largely achieved their objectives" of harming "Israel" and its allies economically, as well as showing off their regional reach and increasing support within Yemen.

He believes that the US has "no good options" when it comes to their response apart from actively putting an end to "Israel's unrelenting offensive in Gaza."

  • United States
  • Europe
  • Palestine
  • Yemeni Armed Forces
  • Spain
  • Italy
  • Israel
  • Ansar Allah
  • Red Sea
  • Operation Prosperity Guardian
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS