Red Sea: The US assures that it acts “in self-defense” and does not seek conflict

He US Government. He argued this Sunday that he acts in “self-defense” in it Red Sea because his interests are at stake in that maritime route, through which a large amount of oil and liquefied gas transits, and he emphasized that he does not seek to fuel tension in the Middle East.

This is how John Kirby, one of the White House spokespersons, positioned himself during an interview with ABC and after the United States and Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, exchanged fire in the first clash with deaths at sea. Red.

“We are not seeking to expand the conflict in the region. “We certainly do not seek a conflict with the Houthis,” Kirby stated.

The spokesperson noted that the United States is not ruling out any options regarding how to respond to the Houthi attacksbut made it clear that the main objective is to protect maritime trade and the interests in the area of ​​the US and its allies.

“We are going to deploy the forces that are necessary in the region to protect those interests. “We are acting in legitimate self-defense,” he stressed.

This Sunday, the United States took the strongest action to date to defend international maritime security by sinking three ships carrying Shiite Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, in response to an attack by Iranian-backed insurgents against a Danish shipping company ship. Maersk.

This was the first time since the Houthis declared war on Israel on behalf of the people of Gaza more than two months ago that the United States has engaged directly with the rebels and has left an unknown number of fatalities in their ranks.

So far, the Houthis have not claimed responsibility for this action against the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hanzghou, which was attacked near the port of Al Hodeida, one of the most important in Yemen and controlled by the rebels.

After the start of the Israel offensive in Gaza, The Houthis have launched several volleys of missiles and drones against southern Israel and also against ships flying the flag of the Jewish State or owned by Israeli companies in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb, which connects said sea with the Gulf of Aden.

As a result, several shipping groups have reported that they are temporarily suspending their operations in the Red Sea.

Last week, the United States announced a military coalition made up of more than 20 nations under the name ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’ to counter Houthi attacks in the area and offer protection to ships transiting through the Red Sea.

The armed conflict in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthi rebels occupied Sanaa and other provinces of the country, and the conflict intensified with the intervention of the Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia, with support from the United States, in March 2015.