US ready to help Pakistan counter Houthi attacks on ships in Red Sea

DUBAI: The United States has said it is willing to cooperate with Pakistan to address the attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and is also in contact with Pakistani officials to ensure secure transportation of ships in the Red Sea.

Speaking to The News, Margaret MacLeod, the Urdu language spokesperson for the US State Department, hoped that the Pakistan Navy, as a member of the Combined Maritime Force, would take steps to secure the movement of ships in the Red Sea.

She said commercial activities of all countries in the region are being affected by the Houthi rebels’ attacks. She emphasized the need for support for “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” established under the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

MacLeod mentioned that the US and its allies are aware of the hardships faced by the Yemeni people. She clarified that the strategy of the new task force against the Houthi rebels is not aggressive but rather a “defensive response” to the attacks on Houthi positions.

Responding to questions about the non-involvement of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in “Operation Prosperity Guardian” against the Houthis, Margaret MacLeod said that she is not the spokesperson for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. She said these countries are free to make their own decisions, and the United States encourages all countries in the region to join the task force against the Houthi rebels.

Discussing plans to address the food shortage issue in Israel, Margaret MacLeod said the US aims to protect all its allies in the region. The attacks by Houthi rebels are affecting the entire region, making it difficult to deliver food items to countries, including Israel, she said.

In response to a question on weapons supply to the Houthis, she said Iran was supporting the Houthi rebels and providing them with weapons. She claimed that Iran also provides “effective intelligence” to target ships.

She asked the Iranian government to cease destabilising actions in the Middle East and change its attitude immediately. She said the common Iranian people are also affected by the policies of the Iranian government.