The United States wanted to engage in a war to defend the Red Sea, but its allies were not very strong
Recently, the United States proposed a plan called "Operation Prosperity Guardian", which aims to form a maritime alliance to protect shipping in the Red Sea. This is no idle job, but to counter the Houthi threat to the Red Sea shipping lanes. From the very beginning, I felt that this was a necessary step and that the international community had to work together to deal with these threats.
Just a week after the plan was released, our European allies in the United States didn't seem to be so supportive. Don't you think Red Sea shipping is a big deal?I just don't understand. This "Operation Prosperity Guardian" sounds cool, but European countries** seem to be reluctant to join it, keeping their distance from this operation. The Pentagon says the defense alliance, which involves more than 20 countries, aims to keep the multibillion-dollar Red Sea shipping lanes open. Funnily enough, nearly half of the countries have not publicly acknowledged their participation, nor have they asked the United States to disclose what their contributions are. What's going on?
The situation in our international relations has changed in the past few days. I thought that the United States and Europe were one family, but it turned out that European countries had some opinions about Israel. Even if Red Sea shipping was threatened, these guys hesitated. I am a little scratched by the fact that European countries** are afraid of offending anti-Israel voters, experts say. Could it be that even such a major matter as protecting shipping in the Red Sea is so sensitive for political reasons?
Did you know that starting on November 19, the Houthis attacked or seized more than a dozen ships with missiles and drones in an attempt to exert international influence on Israel's operations? Not only that, but on October 7, Hamas carried out a rampage in southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. The U.S., British and French navies have shot down several Houthi drones or missiles. If we don't take action now, our commercial shipping will suffer in the future. The Rea Sea is the entrance to the Suez Canal, handles 12% of the world's ** and is vital for the movement of goods in Asia and Europe. The Houthi attacks have forced some ships to make a detour to the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, which not only increases the sailing time, but also the cost.
Some say that the U.S. maritime alliance is about making the Houthi attacks an international issue, not just the Gaza conflict. Come to think of it, these guys aren't fuel-efficient lamps, and if they don't deal with them, they'll have to pick quarrels and provoke trouble. Ironically, although the United States announced that 20 countries had joined the Maritime Alliance, so far only 12 countries have been announced. U.S. Maj. Gen. Patrick Clyde told reporters last week, "We're going to let other countries declare their participation on their own." "Why does it feel a bit like a test score list, only half of it is shown to you?
The European Union also issued a statement condemning the Houthi attacks and expressing support for the maritime alliance. But in fact, some of the countries that the United States said later said they were not directly involved. The Italian Ministry of Defense said they would send a ship at the request of the shipowner, not as part of a U.S. operation. The French, for their part, said that their ships were still under French command. As for Spain, hey, everyone directly refused to participate, and the "Operation Prosperity Guardian" was completely ignored. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, on the other hand, has expressed his willingness to consider a different mission to address the problem. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates declared early on that they had no interest in this alliance. Public outrage over Israel's military operation in Gaza helps explain some of the reluctance of political leaders.
The latest YouGov poll shows that a majority of Western Europeans, especially in Spain and Italy, believe that Israel should stop its military operations in Gaza. Don't you think that's right?But if you think about it, the countries that participate in this coalition may also face retaliation from the Houthis. There is information that India is unlikely to join the US operation, with one India*** saying that an alliance with the US could make India a target for more attacks. However, some European diplomatic sources have downplayed concerns about the alliance's cohesion, saying that the effort is still in shape and is not in danger of falling apart. The source also added that Washington's allies understand the challenges Biden faces at home in the Israeli-Gaza war. After all, many European and Gulf states have already joined one of several US-led military blocs in the Middle East, including the Joint Maritime Department (CMF), which consists of 39 countries. According to a CMF spokesperson, the "Atlanta" operation in Europe has established a "reciprocal relationship" with the CMF. Although Italy has not explicitly stated that it will join Operation Prosperity Guardian, an Italian source revealed that the United States is quite satisfied with Italy's contribution. Sending a Navy frigate as part of an existing operation is a way to speed up deployment and does not require a new parliamentary mandate, the sources said.
Now the United States is seeking international support for its Red Sea security push, but there is also pressure, and Iran's military presence in the region is not a fuel-efficient lamp. In addition to the Houthis in Yemen, Iranian-backed militias have been attacking U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq. So far, the United States has carried out limited retaliatory airstrikes against militias in Iraq and Syria, but has not done so in Yemen. Michael Malroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense to Trump**, said the Pentagon's goal with the new maritime alliance appears to be to make future Houthi attacks an international issue in order to separate them from the Israeli-Hamas war. "Once the Houthis start protecting commercial shipping and come under direct attack, the Houthis will attack the coalition, not just the United States," Malroy said.
Looking at it this way, it turns out that this "Operation Prosperity Guardian" is really a big project, which is related to global security, international relations, and regional security and stability. It seems that although the US move has caused some controversy, it is also a protection that takes into account the changes in the international situation and its own interests. Alas, the world is becoming more and more complicated, and I hope that the international community can treat it rationally and work together to protect the safety of our shipping.