The US Department of Defense (DoD) is actively seeking to convince shipping companies to continue sailing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, despite the persistent Houthi attacks occurring in the region, an American news agency reports.
The Pentagon is "engaged with industry on a near-daily basis to gauge needs and provide reassurance that the international community is there to help with safe passage," Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Bryon McGarry, a DoD spokesperson for the Middle East and Africa, told the news outlet.
He spoke as US Central Command tweeted that the USS Mason, a guided missile destroyer, had shot down a missile and a drone over the southern Red Sea.
"There was no damage to any of the 18 ships in the area or reported injuries," according to Central Command.
The remarks came after A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, the world’s No. 2 container line, announced plans to resume passages through the Red Sea “as soon as operationally possible.” Meanwhile, Maersk warned that “the overall risk is not eliminated in the area,” and that the company would “not hesitate” to re-evaluate the safety situation for its vessels and employees.
On December 18, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the launch of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational effort to ensure the safety of the Red Sea. The participating countries include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain, although Madrid's official confirmation is still pending. The Houthis promised to attack any ships that join the US-led maritime coalition.
They have managed to effectively shut down the Red Sea to Israeli-owned and Israeli-bound maritime traffic, seizing at least one ship and launching several drone and missile attacks on commercial carriers over the past month.
As a result, at least eight of the world's 10 largest shipowners - including MSC and Maersk - temporarily halted Red Sea operations, diverting their vessels towards South Africa.