US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced, on Monday, that he will hold a meeting via video conference with a number of defense ministers in the Middle East to discuss the ongoing Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Austin said in a joint press conference with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant: “With regard to the Houthis, these attacks are reckless, dangerous, and violate international law,” noting that America is taking measures to build an international coalition to confront this threat. He added: “This is not just an American issue... it is an international problem, and it deserves an international response.”

The American CNN television network reported that the United States is considering strengthening the protection of commercial ships in the Red Sea with the help of the Joint Naval Forces, which is a multinational naval force charged with protecting commercial shipping in this important shipping lane.