NEW DELHI: The United States announced that several countries have agreed to jointly carry out patrols in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to protect commercial ships from missile and drone attacks by Yemen-based Houthis, who say they are doing so in support of Palestinians amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The US-led “multinational security initiative” will be joined by Bahrain, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain. 

The 10-nation coalition comes amid a rise in attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen who have waded into the Israel-Hamas war by launching missiles and drones on commercial vessels on the key trading route which carries up to 12 per cent of global trade. 

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative,” said US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is on a visit to Bahrain, in a statement, on Tuesday (Dec 19). 

“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” it added. It was not immediately clear if the countries would be willing to do what the American warships have been doing in recent days. 

US-deployed warships have shot down Houthi missiles and drones as well as rushed to the aid of commercial ships under attack. The recent attacks have prompted many shipping companies to halt transit through the troubled but vital waterway which might disrupt global trade. 

American forces have also reportedly shot down drones and missiles fired at Israel from the Yemeni capital of Sanaa to prevent the current war from spreading to the rest of the region. 

Houthis, on Monday (Dec 18) attacked two more commercial shipping vessels in the southern Red Sea, said the US Central Command (CENTCOM), in a statement. 

According to the US forces in the region, the Norwegian-owned chemical/oil tanker Swan Atlantic was attacked by a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile. 

Around the same time, in a separate incident, a bulk cargo ship MSC Clara reported an explosion in the water near its location. There were no injuries reported on both vessels. 

The Yemeni rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks on what they called two “Israeli-linked” vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza. In a statement, Houthis said that they carried out a “military operation against two ships linked to the Zionist entity” using naval drones.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea later claimed that the crews failed to respond to calls from the group. The Iran-backed group has threatened to target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality and warned international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports. 

Swan Atlantic’s owner, as per AFP said that the ship was carrying biofuel feedstock from France to Reunion Island and that their vessel had “no Israeli link” given that it is managed by a Singaporean firm and was run by an Indian crew, which was unharmed in the incident.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi politburo, told Al Jazeera that his group would be able to confront any US-led coalition that was deployed to the Red Sea.