Australia Denies US Request for War Ship in the Red Sea, Middle East

Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the internationally-recognised government ride in a patrol boat in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on December 12, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Ziad / AFP) Photo by KHALED ZIAD/AFP via Getty Images

After Australia denied a U.S. request to dispatch a warship to the Red Sea to protect vital trade routes from attacks by Iran-sponsored Houthis rebels from Yemen, its defence minister has confirmed extra defence personnel will be dispatched instead.

The Red Sea operation was part of a multi-national task force to ensure freedom of navigation in the region amid escalating Houthi attacks.

Six Australian Defence Force (ADF) officers will be sent to Bahrain in the New Year to assist the Combined Maritime Force in the US-led mission of 39 nations.

Australia Will Not Send A Ship, Opposition Criticises Decision

Discussing Australia’s plans, Defence Minister Richard Marles told Sky News, the government would not “be sending a ship or a plane.”

“That said, we will be almost tripling our contribution to the combined maritime force. We need to be really clear around our strategic focus and our strategic focus is our region, the north-east Indian Ocean, the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Pacific,” Mr. Marles said.

The United States had sent its request to 39 nations.

In a joint statement, Shadow Defence Minister Andrew Hastie, Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham, and Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor raised concerns about Australia turning down a request from its close ally.

“It’s troubling that just days after the passage of AUKUS legislation in Congress, Australia has turned down an important request from one of our closest allies,” the statement said.

“The inaction of the Albanese government makes Australia a less reliable partner and ally, at a time when our alliances and partnerships are increasingly important.

A U.S. official has reportedly told the ABC Australian could not “pretend global problems don’t require global solutions.”

Houthis Launch Multiple Drone Attacks in the Red Sea

Houthi rebels in Yemen launched multiple attacks in the Red Sea, including drones targeting Israeli ships.

A U.S. warship shot down 14 suspected attack drones on Dec. 15, including those targeting commercial ships.

On Dec. 18, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said the recent escalation threatened the free flow of commerce, endangered innocent mariners, and violated international law.

“The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade,” he said.

“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.”

The International Response

In response, Mr. Austin launched Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational security operation of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of task force 153.

The defence secretary said this was an “international challenge” that demanded collective action.

“Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries including the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries, and bolstering regional security and prosperity,” he said.

Shadow Minister Says Red Sea Critical to Australia

Australia’s Shadow Foreign Minister Birmingham said the incidents in the Red Sea and Suez Canal were “critically important” for Australia’s interests.

Senator Birmingham noted more than 12 percent of global trade flowed through the sea channel and the diversion by freight and cargo operators to longer routes would cost the Australian economy, including inflationary pressures.

He said the Australian government needed to be clear why it could not offer support.

“Richard Marles is right in terms of where our strategic priorities and focus as a country needs to be in relation to the Indo-Pacific,” Mr. Birmingham said.

“But it is also very clear that we rely upon our alliances and our partnerships to contribute and complement our focus in this region, just as those allies and partners would rightly expect us to contribute and partner in other operations.”

Multiple Nations Condemn Attacks

Days earlier, Australia was one of multiple signatories on a joint statement relating to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The statement was released by the United States, European Union, and NATO (representing 44 allies and partners).

The nations condemned Houthi interference with navigational rights and freedoms in the waters around the Arabian Peninsula, especially the Red Sea.

“The Houthi-led seizure of the Galaxy Leader on November 19 and the detention of its 25-member international crew—who remain unjustly detained—is appalling,” the statement said.

“Such behavior also threatens the movement of food, fuel, humanitarian assistance, and other essential commodities to destinations and populations all over the world.”