US diplomat hopes Pakistan would take steps to secure movement of ships in the Red Sea
\nDUBAI
\nThe United States expressed its willingness to cooperate with Pakistan to address the attacks by Yemen\u2019s Iran-backed Houthi militia in the Red Sea, saying that it is in contact with officials to ensure secure transportation of ships, The News reported on Sunday.
\nThe development comes after Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a Pakistan-bound container ship in the Red Sea in December last year.
\nThere were no injuries to the ship\u2019s crew from the attack. The vessel, the United VIII, was en route from King Abdullah Port, Saudi Arabia to Karachi.
\nSpeaking to The News, Margaret MacLeod, the Urdu language spokesperson for the US State Department, hoped that the Pakistan Navy \u2014 as a member of the Combined Maritime Force \u2014 would take steps to secure the movement of ships in the Red Sea.
\nShe said commercial activities of all countries in the region are being affected by the Houthi rebels\u2019 attacks. She emphasised the need for support for \u201cOperation Prosperity Guardian,\u201d established under the Combined Maritime Force (CMF), to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
\nMacLeod 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 \u201cdefensive response\u201d to the attacks on Houthi positions.
\nResponding to questions about the non-involvement of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in \u201cOperation Prosperity Guardian\u201d against the Houthis, MacLeod said that she is not the spokesperson for Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
\nShe said these countries are free to make their own decisions, and Washington encourages all countries in the region to join the task force against the Houthi rebels.
\nMacLeod also said the attacks by Houthi rebels are affecting the entire region, making it difficult to deliver food items to countries, including Israel.
\nIn 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 \u201ceffective intelligence\u201d to target ships.
\nShe asked the Iranian government to cease destabilising actions in the Middle East and change its attitude immediately, adding that the common Iranian people are also affected by the policies of their government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
US diplomat hopes Pakistan would take steps to secure movement of ships in the Red Sea DUBAI The United States expressed its willingness to cooperate with Pakistan to address the attacks by Yemen\u2019s Iran-backed Houthi militia in the Red Sea, saying that it is in contact with officials to ensure secure transportation of ships, The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":383768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-383758","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n