U.S. announces joint mission to counter Houthi attacks in Red Sea

The United States on Monday announced a new multinational security initiative to counter an increasing number of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi rebels.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the new initiative, called Operation Prosperity Guardian, will "address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity."

Countries including Britain, France, Italy and Norway will join the mission, Austin said in a statement.