The risk of spillover from the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is intensifying, and a few days ago, the United States announced that it would assemble a 10-nation fleet to escort ships in the Red Sea. After the U.S. military announced the launch of military operations, two major events occurred on the west coast of India and the Red Sea.
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict spilled over
According to Xinhua News Agency, in the Arabian Sea, not far from the west coast of India, there was an attack on a merchant ship, and it is reported that the ship was linked to Israel. According to the report, Ambri, a British maritime security company, said that the ship appeared after the attack and caused a fire, but the incident did not cause ***, and the fire was controlled and extinguished in time. It is important to know that attacks on merchant ships were common in the Red Sea region in the past, but now the situation shows that the attacks have spread beyond the Red Sea. Such developments have undoubtedly exacerbated the uncertainty of regional security.
U.S. ship intercepts Houthi drone) There is another thing that is also seen as a sign of the spillover of the conflict. According to a message posted by the U.S. ** Command on social platforms, the U.S. Burke-class "Raboon" missile destroyer shot down four drones in the southern part of the Red Sea. The U.S. military revealed two key pieces of information, first, that the drones were sent from the Houthi-controlled area of Yemen and directly threatened the USS Raboun. Second, after shooting down the drone, the U.S. Navy received a distress signal, and the two tankers flew the flags of Norway and India, respectively, and were attacked by Houthi rebels.
These two events show that traditional conflict zones cannot be completely closed, and that neighboring regions and global shipping may be affected, and also highlight the fragility of international maritime security. However, the root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is that the conflict has continued for a long time, which poses a threat to regional peace and stability. And in the process, the United States is also constantly arching the fire, especially the formation of a multinational fleet in the Red Sea region.
American ships went to the waters of the Red Sea)The United States marched into the Red Sea and formed a multinational fleet
A few days ago, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the United States will take the lead in forming a multinational fleet to conduct so-called "escort operations" in the waters of the Red Sea. The US media also reported that nine allies, including Britain, Canada, and Italy, have decided to join the alliance formed by the United States. The United States has made it undisguised that the real goal of this operation is to rally international forces to deal with the Houthis in Yemen. Judging from the above information, the actions of the United States are full of fanfare and deterrence, but in fact they have not played any role.
First, despite reports of a number of responses, the majority of countries have not yet confirmed their participation. Some countries have expressed a willingness to send their armed forces to maintain security in the Red Sea, but only as an independent defense measure, not as part of the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian. Australia even directly and resolutely stated that it would not send a ** or a plane to participate in US military operations in the Red Sea.
In addition, three other allies of the United States, which originally announced that they would participate in the operation, also announced their "withdrawal from the group." Spain has categorically denied its involvement in the U.S. program and said it would not use troops in the Middle East. France and Italy also announced that they would not participate in the operation. It can be said that the US military operation was already "slapped in the face" at the very beginning. This exposes that America's leadership in global affairs is being called into question. Much of America's influence derives from its allies, and it appears that allies are reluctant or even opposed to following in the footsteps of the United States, which greatly undermines the actual influence of the United States and its ability to execute the operation.
The Houthis have taken a hard line
Second, the U.S. actions do not seem to deter the Houthis. The Houthi senior Mohammad Bohaiti openly expressed "disdain" for the US action, claiming that even if the US was able to mobilize the whole world, the Houthis would not stop their military operations against Israeli ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis also announced that they would also be targeted against the Houthis in the Red Sea.
Oil tankers sailing in the Red Sea) and the Houthis' interpretation of the U.S. move to "form a maritime coalition" as "part of the aggression against the Palestinian population" also reveals the complexity and deep-seated instability of the regional conflict. In general, the so-called "escort operation" promoted by the United States in the Red Sea by the multinational fleet was unfavorable from the beginning, and in the face of the hesitation of its allies and the intransigence of the Houthis, there are serious doubts about the actual impact and effectiveness of this operation.
It is precisely because of these difficulties that the United States seems to be looking to other allies for support. Take, for example, the alleged attack on an Indian oil tanker mentioned earlier. The Indian side denied this, saying that the tanker was flying the Gabonese flag. However, the US military's description of this incident can be described as conclusive, and some details have also been described, and the US media have also reported on the incident in large numbers. As for the attitude of the United States and India, the outside world believes that there are two possibilities.
One of the alleged attacks on the tanker was that the ship was indeed Indian, but the Indian side did not want to be drawn into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so it refused to admit it. Second, the US military deliberately emphasized that this was an Indian oil tanker in an attempt to pull India into the water and participate in its "escort operation" in the Red Sea. After all, many allies have reacted mutedly to this, and even announced their withdrawal outright, and if this operation is to be carried out smoothly, a few more countries are essential.