Shipping Industry, Abandoned by ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian,’ Demands More Protection Against Houthis

Over a dozen international shipping organizations published a statement on Wednesday demanding that “states with influence” do more to protect civilian ships from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, responding to the Iran-backed jihadists sinking their second ship this week.

The statement, published by the World Shipping Council, expressed exasperation with the lack of action taken to contain Houthi attacks, branding the anti-shipping campaign an “unacceptable situation” prompting insufficient action.

The Houthis, formally known as “Ansarallah,” are a Shiite Yemeni terrorist organization that have controlled the capital of Yemen, Sana’a, since launching a civil war against the legitimate government there in 2014. Largely functioning as an Iranian proxy terrorist organization, the Houthis announced in October that they would declare war on the nation of Israel in solidarity with the Sunni, fellow Iran-backed group Hamas. Hamas invaded Israel on October 7, killing upwards of 1,000 people and engaging in widespread human rights atrocities including infanticide and gang rape.

The Houthis have mainly participated in the jihadist war on Israel through attacks on commercial ships in the highly trafficked Red Sea. Houthi leaders have insisted that they are only targeting ships with ties to Israel – and, later, expanded their targets to include American and British ships – but in reality they have largely targeted ships at random, launching dozens of attacks on ships with no relevant ties to those nations. On some occasions, the Houthis have targeted ships with links to their allies, including Iran, Russia, and China.

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The Houthis have launched over 70 attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November, Reuters noted on Wednesday. They have sunk two ships – the Belize-flagged MV Rubymar in February and the Greek-owned MV Tutor, which authorities confirmed had sunk on Wednesday – and killed at least four sailors.

In response to the Red Sea campaign, the administration of leftist President Joe Biden launched “Operation Prosperity Guardian” in December, allegedly a coalition of over 20 countries sending assets to the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping. The Biden administration never named all the members of the coalition and has offered little information on operations related to “Operation Prosperity Guardian” since then, though Pentagon officials claimed the project was still ongoing as recently as this week.

While not mentioning “Operation Prosperity Guardian” specifically, the shipping organizations complained that state powers had done little to use their military might to contain the Houthis.

“It is deplorable that innocent seafarers are being attacked while simply performing their jobs, vital jobs which keep the world warm, fed, and clothed,” their statement read. “This is an unacceptable situation, and these attacks must stop now.”

“We call for States with influence in the region to safeguard our innocent seafarers and for the swift de-escalation of the situation in the Red Sea,” the groups continued. “We have heard the condemnation and appreciate the words of support, but we urgently seek action to stop the unlawful attacks on these vital workers and this vital industry.”

The signatories include representatives of 14 shipping organizations, including the World Shipping Council, the Cruise Lines International Association, the International Association of Ports and Harbors, and the International Maritime Employers’ Council, among others.

Reuters reported on Wednesday, noting the outraged statement from the shipping organizations, that insurance companies are similarly alarmed at the Houthi attacks and what appears to be their increasing frequency and severity. One point of particularly concern is the growing number of attacks in which the Houthis are using attack drone boats. The Tutor was hit by an unmanned surface vessel (USV), the first time the Houthis had used such a weapon with success in its Red Sea campaign.

“The first successful use of an unmanned surface vessel represents a new challenge for commercial shipping within an already complex environment,” Munro Anderson, head of operations at marine war risk and insurance specialist Vessel Protect, told Reuters.

“Operation Prosperity Guardian” did not work to protect the Tutor or the MV Verbena, currently on fire after being struck by a Houthi missile. The Pentagon mission was announced on December to much fanfare, claiming over 20 members who would offer patrol ships and other assets to the project. Prosperity Guardian was plagued with controversies from the start: from the Pentagon naming members, such as Spain, who claimed not to have agreed to join the coalition, to the notable absence of the most relevant actors by the Red Sea, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia.

Some of the coalition members named offered so few resources it was unclear how their participation would make any difference. Greece, for example, sent one frigate, while Australia sent 11 servicemen, but no naval assets.

The Pentagon has not attributed any major activity to “Operation Prosperity Guardian” in months, though Defense Department officials still mention it as an ongoing mission. As recently as June 5, Pentagon officials were thanking members of the coalition for nominally joining the project.

A journalist asked Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder about “Operation Prosperity Guardian” on Tuesday, calling for a clear “definition of strategic success.”

“Strategic success looks like the ability of the international community to continue to transit the Red Sea. And we’re going to keep after it,” Ryder replied, claiming that, “it’s the Houthis that have failed to deter the United States and the international community from continuing to operate in the Red Sea,” rather than the other way around.

“They’ve conducted over 190 attacks, the vast majority of which have been knocked down, thanks to U. S. and international efforts to help safeguard shipping and the lives of Mariners through operations like Operation Prosperity Guardian,” Ryder said. He did not identify any of the individual actions that Operation Prosperity Guardian has taken to stop Houthi attacks.

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