The Washington Post reported that the United States is aiming to expand the multinational naval force in the Red Sea to protect vessels from Houthi threats. The newspaper quoted a U.S. military official as stating, "Multiple countries have an interest in preventing disruption of trade shipping through this part of the world," noting that this point was emphasized by administration officials to other countries during discussions about expanding the naval force, according to the Arab World News Agency. The official described U.S. efforts as "ambitious" to a large extent, noting that there is currently no clear timeline as "allies and partners are assessing how they will participate."
A senior official in the U.S. administration indicated that discussions on expanding the force "are actively ongoing." The Houthi group in Yemen announced on Saturday that it would prevent all ships heading to Israel of any nationality from passing unless the necessary food and medicine entered the Gaza Strip, warning that these vessels "will become a legitimate target" if this does not happen.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Sunday that rocket attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by the Houthis have become a significant threat not only to Israel and the United States but to dozens of countries that rely on this international waterway for daily goods transport, meaning that ships from many nations are now at risk of Houthi attacks. Blinken stated that sanctions have been effectively implemented to undermine Houthi funding and that military action in the future is not ruled out.
