The United States has called a meeting for this Tuesday with Middle Eastern countries to discuss a response to the attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, according to what the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, announced this Monday.
The US secretary, visiting Israel, has called a meeting tomorrow, electronically, of ministers from the region and other countries to discuss how to ensure free navigation in the area in the face of the risk to international trade. In a press conference he commented that his country "advocates an international coalition to confront this threat."
Last week, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, already called for "a truly international coalition" to combat the Houthi rebels in Yemen, so that the actions led by the United States are "boosted and strengthened."
Following the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis, backed by Iran, have launched several volleys of missiles and drones against southern Israel in the last two months and also against ships flying the Hamas flag. Jewish state or property of Israeli companies in the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait.
Since last Friday, the main maritime transport groups have been announcing that they are suspending their operations in the Red Sea, including Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, and today the oil company BP joined them, temporarily canceling the passage of its vessels through the zone.
