Operation Prosperity Guardian: The Multinational Response to Escalating Red Sea Tensions
The situation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has become increasingly tense in recent months, leading to the creation of Operation Prosperity Guardian. This operation, announced by U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, is a response to the Houthi-led attacks on shipping in these vital waterways. The Houthis, Iran-backed rebels based in Yemen, have escalated their attacks on civilian infrastructure in Israel and commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, an essential international shipping lane, since the outbreak of the war between Hamas and Israel on October 7, 2023.
Operation Prosperity Guardian is a military operation by a multinational coalition, which includes more than 20 member countries. The coalition aims to ensure the safety of maritime traffic in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden. These waterways are critical chokepoints for the global economy, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal with the Horn of Africa.
The Houthi rebels have specifically targeted Israel-bound ships in response to what they describe as “ongoing horrific massacres, genocide, and siege against Palestinians in Gaza.” They have attacked several civilian vessels, including the oil carrier Swan Atlantic and the MSC Clara container vessel, with seadrones. In response to these threats, major shipping companies like BP, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, Maersk, and Hapag-Lloyd have either suspended their operations through the Red Sea or diverted them to other routes.
France has welcomed initiatives like Operation Prosperity Guardian to strengthen freedom of movement in the Red Sea. The French frigate FS Languedoc, already present in the Red Sea, shot down Houthi missiles targeting the Norwegian tanker Strinda on December 11. France is committed to broad coordination with regional partners and other concerned nations to preserve freedom of maritime movement in the area.
Canada, too, has joined the United States-led Operation Prosperity Guardian under the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). The operation’s objective is to protect the free flow of commerce and safety of navigation in the Red Sea and Western Gulf of Aden, regions through which one-sixth of the global economic trade passes. Canada is deploying three staff officers as part of this operation, demonstrating their commitment to upholding the rules-based international order and ensuring the security of these crucial waterways.
