Australia is considering a U.S. request to send a warship to the Red Sea to help protect shipping from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The Yemeni Shiite jihadist terror organization, known more commonly as the Houthis, has vowed to block ships heading to Israel until the offensive on the Gaza Strip is ended, and on Tuesday fired a missile at a Norwegian tanker travelling through the vital sea lane, as Breitbart News reported.
That assault on the oil and chemical tanker Strinda expands a campaign by the Houthis targeting ships near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait into apparently now striking those with no clear ties to Israel.
The Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Arunta (FFH 151) participates in an International Fleet Review commemorating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force on November 6, 2022 off Yokosuka, Japan. (Issei Kato – Pool/Getty)
HMAS Canberra off Palawan on August 21, 2023, as a part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavor 2023 between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Australian Defence Force called Exercise Alon. Australia’s largest warship took part in joint drills with the Philippines and the U.S. in the disputed South China Sea on August 21, as they seek to strengthen defence ties in the face of China’s growing military presence. (JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty)
That potentially imperils cargo and energy shipments coming through the Suez Canal and further widens the international impact of the Israel-Hamas war now raging in the Gaza Strip.
AAP reports Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles said the federal government had yet to respond to the U.S. request made Wednesday.
“We’ll consider this request in due course, but I would note that the focus of our naval efforts right now are on our immediate region,” he told reporters in Darwin.
“In all of the decisions that we make, Australia’s national interests will be front and centre.”
The new Australian-built Guided Missile Destroyer HMAS Hobart enters Sydney Harbour on completion of Mariner Skills Evaluation (MSE).
Assistant Defence Minister Matt Thistlethwaite said the government was working with the chiefs of the defence force and navy to see whether the ship could be provided.
“We’ve certainly had a tradition of being involved in allied operations where we’re upholding international laws and trying to secure peace and stability, particularly related to ongoing commerce,” he said.
Australia has had a presence in the Middle East, including five personnel in the region as part of an allied force aimed at securing shipping lanes, he said.