The U.S. Navy announced Wednesday that it is launching a new multinational task force to smuggle weapons into the waters around Yemen, in a move that translates into the latest U.S. military response to Houthi attacks in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Emirates.
Washington has sought to reassure Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which see US commitment to the region dwindling, by providing additional military support in recent months following rocket and drone strikes in the Gulf states.
The commander of the Fifth Fleet, Rear Admiral Brad Cooper, said the task force would ensure the presence of troops and a deterrent to the Red Sea, Bab al-Madab and the Gulf of Aden from Sunday. “These are strategically important waters that justify our attention,” Cooper told reporters, adding that human and drug trafficking would also be targeted.
The waters around Yemen are a major gateway for world trade, including oil supplies, and ships have been targeted by Houthis and other forces in the past. More than a decade ago, increased naval patrols helped curb pirate attacks on merchant ships sailing near waters.
Asked about airstrikes from Yemen on US partners Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Cooper said the task force would affect the Houthis’ ability to acquire the weapons needed for such attacks. “We will be able to do it more quickly than today,” Cooper added.
A U.S. official told Reuters that the waters between Somalia, Djibouti and Yemen were known as “smuggling routes” for weapons intended for the Houthis. “The new international task force will definitely address this issue,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Iran has long been accused of arms smuggling to the Houthis, a charge it denies.
The new naval task force will consist of two to eight vessels and is part of the 34-nation Combined Naval Forces, also led by Cooper, which has three other action teams in nearby waters aimed at smuggling and piracy. The task force comes amid a two-month truce in Yemen’s nearly seven-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more.
Source: Capital
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