India invited to join US-led naval coalition in Red Sea

The US has invited India to join the multi-national naval coalition, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to counter threats posed by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the Red Sea. This coalition, under the Combined Maritime Forces, aims to ensure maritime security and protect global shipping routes, which have been increasingly targeted by Houthi attacks since November.

Houthi attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea have forced shipping companies to avoid the vital trade route, with two India-linked vessels being targeted by drone strikes in late December. Operation Prosperity Guardian will involve countries like the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain, as announced by US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The US embassy has welcomed other countries, including India, to join in defending the freedom of navigation in the region’s vital waterways. India, as a member of the Combined Maritime Forces, has been cautious about accepting the US invitation to join Operation Prosperity Guardian and may be concerned about the prospect of an escalation in hostilities following the counterattack by US naval forces. Despite enhancing maritime surveillance in the Arabian Sea, India has preferred to maintain a separate naval presence in the region rather than joining a US-led maritime coalition to combat the Houthi attacks.

Source .