THE United States Military plans to strengthen its presence in the region by setting up a new naval task force in the Red Sea.
The US said the naval task force would escort commercial ships passing through the strategic waterway.
The announcement comes after American forces accused Iran-backed Houthi rebels of attacking three commercial ships and a US warship this past weekend.
A spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces however claimed responsibility for the drone and missile attacks on two ships they described as being linked to Israel but have not acknowledged targeting a US Navy vessel.
Defense Department officials also said it shot down three drones in self-defense even though it was not clear if the US Navy destroyer was the main target of a drone launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
The proposed new task force will join five naval task forces deployed by the United States in the Middle East.
Around 8.8-M barrels of oil a day are shipped through the Red Sea, with the natural gas transported from the Gulf to Europe, the United States, and China, making it one of the world’s most crucial waterways.
The US Military strengthened its presence in the Middle East after the Israel-Gaza War erupted on October 7.
Iran for its part warned of the inevitable expansion of the war in Gaza and that the US will not be spared if the fighting in the war-torn territory continues.
