Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles has made it clear that the Red Sea is not a strategic priority for Canberra, which is primarily focused on Asia-Pacific affairs.
"We need to be really clear about our strategic focus and our strategic focus is our region," Marles told Sky News on December 21.
Australia has pledged to send an additional 11 military personnel to the US-led mission, but will not send any military surface vessels or aircraft to the Middle East.
Earlier this week, Defense Minister Lloyd Austin announced a multinational effort, dubbed Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
The Houthis, a Shiite Yemeni militia, have stepped up attacks on Israel-linked ships over Tel Aviv's war with Hamas, threatening to cripple global trade. Israel declared war on Hamas in October after the Islamist group launched a brutal attack on Jewish settlements that killed over 1,300 people.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched a large-scale operation in Gaza to thwart Hamas. However, the military effort resulted in massive civilian casualties, prompting the international community to call for a ceasefire. The Houthis said they would continue the naval attacks until Israel halted its assault on Gaza.
After Lloyd's announcement, the Houthis signaled that they wouldn't stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
"Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not stop … no matter the sacrifices it costs us," top Houthi official Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti tweeted on December 19.
Meanwhile, economic observers are warning of a potential negative impact on logistics and global trade from Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. About 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea, including 30% of global container traffic, including 20% of the world's container traffic, about 10% of seaborne oil and 8% of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
More than 100 container ships have rerouted around southern Africa to avoid the Suez Canal-Red Sea trade lane, according to shipping company Kuehne and Nagel, quoted by the Guardian. The move would add around 6,000 nautical miles to the journey from Asia to Europe, adding three or four weeks to the delivery of goods.