Jan. 3 (UPI) — A coalition of 13 nations pledged to hold Houthi militants accountable for attacking commercial shipping passing through the Red Sea.
The White House issued a joint statement Wednesday that included the UK, Japan and Australia as signatories, calling the attacks “illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilizing.”
“There is no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels,” the statement said.
“Attacks on vessels, including commercial vessels, using unmanned aerial vehicles, small boats, and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such vessels, are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
The 13 nations demanded the Houthis end the “illegal attacks” and release all detained vessels and their crews or face consequences.
“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways,” the joint statement said.
The White House said the Red Sea accounts for the passage of nearly 15% of the world’s seaborne trade, including about 8% of the world’s grain, 12% of its traded oil and 8%.
White House officials said international shipping companies are rerouting shipments around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea passage. The longer route delays the delivery of goods, including food, fuel and humanitarian aid, by up to weeks and greatly adds to their cost.
The attacks threaten the lives of civilian sailors from around the globe and “constitute a significant international problem that demands collective action,” according to the joint statement.
“There are many nations assisting us in Operation Prosperity Guardian and the Red Sea that don’t want to be public,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the White House press corps Wednesday.
“Countries are more and more becoming aware of this increasing threat to the free flow of commerce in the Red Sea by the Houthis and [are] increasingly willing to express their discomfort with that.”
U.S. Navy helicopters recently sank three Houthi boats and killed its 10 crew members after they fired on the helicopters. The Houthis were attacking a vessel passing through the Red Sea on Sunday.
