US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the launch of a multinational operation to protect trade in the Red Sea following a series of missile and drone attacks launched by the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen.

Austin, who is on a visit to Bahrain, which hosts the American fleet in the Middle East, explained that the participating countries include Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain. He added that they will conduct joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Austin added in a statement, “This is an international challenge that requires collective action. That is why today I am announcing the launch of ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian,’ an important new multinational security initiative.”