The United States led a multinational voyage in the Red Sea, and the Houthis responded with ruthless words
Recently, the situation on the Red Sea Route has become chaotic due to the spread of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As one of the "oil lifelines" of the United States, the strategic position of the Red Sea route is undoubtedly very important.
On the 18th of this month, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the formal establishment of a multinational maritime coalition, the so-called "Operation Prosperity Guardian", which aims to deter the Houthis by deploying a large number of naval forces in the Red Sea to protect ships transiting the Red Sea.
Judging from the list released by the United States so far, the countries participating in the operation include the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. However, the Middle Eastern powers were not seen in this maritime coalition. For fear of provoking Iran, which supports the Houthis, Middle Eastern countries are generally reluctant to confront the Houthis directly.
It is important to emphasize that the Houthis mainly target Israeli ships and do not attack other countries. In this case, this so-called coalition force is actually "putting on a table" for the United States and has no real interests for itself. It seems that the major powers in the Middle East are also reluctant to participate in this farce and treat the US coalition with cold eyes. The United Arab Emirates, which once spoke out frequently, is now silent.
To be honest, the U.S. reaction this time was rather comical. In order to deal with a small Houthi group, the United States not only mobilized a large number of military forces to form a maritime coalition, but also gathered ten countries. Is this to show "perfection" or to show the so-called "appeal" of the United States?Or is it just to cover up the current predicament of the United States?Judging by the performance of the United States in recent years, these are all possible.
At the same time, there are also some countries involved in the "escort" that do not act effectively. It is reported that Norway sent only 10 people, and Spain categorically denied participating in the US operation. The only two Middle Eastern countries in this maritime coalition, Seychelles has a population of only 100,000 and a total strength of less than 500 troops. Even the "big country" Bahrain has only 1 military strength10 thousand. In fact, this so-called maritime coalition of the United States is more like a ship formation composed of Western countries, and does not have deep relations with Middle Eastern countries.
However, how might the absence of a Middle Eastern power affect this operation?There is a huge problem with the US escort operation this time, that is, how to effectively fight the Houthis. Cruising the Red Sea with a fleet alone is impractical, but intercepting Houthi drones is a bit of a luxury. If anti-aircraft guns are used to intercept Houthi drones, it is like "using artillery to fight mosquitoes", and the gains outweigh the losses.
In addition, this is not a small amount of military spending. Due to the collective absence of the Middle Eastern powers, not only the face of the United States is damaged, but also potential military funds are taken away. In the previous Iraq war, the multinational force was financed mainly by Kuwait and Jutland, but now Israel and the United States are willing to share this responsibility?Against the backdrop of economic difficulties in Western countries, this is clearly a difficult problem.
At the same time, the Houthi response to the operation was quite "domineering", summed up in seven words: "Whoever targets me, I will fight". This has made the major powers in the Middle East more cautious, and the pressure on US military spending has further increased. This is perhaps what the United States deserves, and they will have to tread carefully.