WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday that the U.S. may establish a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea, a day after three vessels were struck by missiles fired by Iranian-back Houthis in Yemen.
On Sunday, ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships, while a U.S. warship shot down three drones in self-defense during an hourslong assault, the U.S. military said.
He noted similar task forces are used to protect commercial shipping elsewhere, including off the coast of Somalia.
The Houthi attacks imperil traffic on one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes and with it global trade overall.
Political Cartoons View All 1277 ImagesThe Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab are also part of a vital route for commercial shipping overall, carrying millions of tons of agricultural products and other goods to markets yearly.
Persons:
Jake Sullivan, Yemen’s Houthi, ” Sullivan, Sullivan, Jon Gambrell, Ellen Knickmeyer
Organizations:
WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Energy, Administration, ”
Locations:
U.S, Red, Iranian, Yemen, Israel, United States, Somalia, Gulf, Europe, China, Bab, Iran