With the Houthis waging "ship raids" in the Gulf of Aden and the southern Red Sea, Western shipping companies have no choice but to abandon the Suez Canal route and circumnavigate the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. This not only increases the shipping time of Western goods by 7 to 15 days, but also significantly increases the insurance costs incurred by shipping.
After seeing the Houthis frequently attack ships linked to Israel with missiles and drones, the United States gathered Britain, France, Canada and other countries to form an "11-nation fleet" to carry out the "Guardian of Prosperity" operation in the southern part of the Red Sea.
In the face of pressure from the United States and other countries, the Houthis chose to fight back strongly. Houthi leaders warn that once the United States uses force against the Houthis, the Houthis will immediately retaliate against US ships and military bases, and all Americans who try to launch strikes will become the targets of the Houthi counterattack.
After the verbal warnings, the Houthis also made it clear in a statement that the Houthis would prefer to "fight" directly with the Americans and Zionism. The Houthi statements have made the United States clearly aware that the Red Sea crisis will be difficult to resolve for a while and a half, and unless Israel stops its military operations in Gaza, the Houthi "ship raid war" will continue.
At present, the United States is preparing to rally more countries to carry out operations in the Red Sea region. According to reference news on December 22, the Pentagon announced that thanks to the efforts of the United States, more than 20 countries have agreed to join the "anti-Houthi" coalition led by the United States to provide escort for passing ships in the Red Sea region. Of the more than 20 countries, "at least eight refuse to disclose their identities."
The reason for the refusal of these countries to disclose their identities is that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is "politically sensitive" and some countries do not want to be drawn into disputes in the Middle East. But despite this, Pentagon spokesman Major General Ryder mentioned two countries, which are Greece and Australia.
Ryder said Greece and Australia have issued statements to join the U.S. anti-Houthi coalition and will contribute according to their capabilities, whether that could be by sending ships and military aircraft, or by sending personnel or providing intelligence support.
To the surprise of many Americans, as soon as Major General Ryder's words fell, the United States was slapped in the face by Australia, its "closest ally." According to the Observer Network on December 22, the Australian Ministry of Defense made it clear that Australia refuses to join the "anti-Houthi" coalition led by the United States, and not a single aircraft or a ** will be dispatched.
Australian Defense Minister Marles surprised the Pentagon with Australia's statement, because in recent years, Australia has rarely said "no" to the United States. According to Australian Defense Minister Marles, Australia must maintain its strategic focus on the "Indo-Pacific region".
In fact, Australia's rejection of the US offer was not a sudden move. After the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Palestine and Israel in Gaza, Australia issued a statement saying that Australia** believes that a ceasefire in Gaza is necessary and that the Palestinian-Israeli crisis needs to be eased as soon as possible.
The Houthi launch of the "ship raid war" is inextricably linked to the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Once Australia sends its fighter jets to follow the United States to intervene in the Middle East, Australia's attention will be distracted, and there may be some changes in the relationship between Australia and Islamic countries, which is not in Australia's interests.
After seeing Australia's uncooperative attitude, the United States criticized Australia for not turning a blind eye to a "global" problem. Australia should consider how it would respond if it was attacked in the Red Sea
Australia was unmoved by the US question, and the US contingent has become "more and more difficult to lead". In fact, the Houthis have made it clear to the outside world that the Houthi ship raids are only aimed at Israel and its supporters, and have nothing to do with most countries.
The reason why the United States wants to rally so many countries to join forces and elevate "anti-Houthi" to an international issue is entirely to safeguard its own interests and those of Israel.
On the one hand, the United States wants to make it clear that opposition to the Houthis is not a matter for the United States and Israel, but "an issue of universal concern to all countries in the world."On the other hand, it costs a lot to intercept Houthi missiles and drones. The United States hopes that its allies can do their part to reduce U.S. military spending.