Australia, US and allies warn Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to ‘immediately end’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea, but Labor is being urged to

Australia and allies have warned Houthi rebels in Yemen will face consequences if they do not immediately end illegal attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, but Labor has been accused of failing to match its rhetoric with “hard power”.

Australia and allies have warned Houthi rebels in Yemen will face consequences if they do not immediately end illegal attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, but Labor has been accused of failing to match its rhetoric with “hard power”.

The US military has prepared options to strike the Iranian-backed group, which has launched at least 24 attacks on vessels in the busy shipping route since November as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Australia joined the US, UK and other like-minded nations on Thursday in condemning the Houthi attacks, but Opposition leader Peter Dutton and defence spokesman Andrew Hastie have accused Anthony Albanese of showing “weak leadership” on the issue after Labor opted not to send a warship to the region as per the initial request of the US Central Command in December.

Mr Dutton said the Prime Minister must “match his social media statements” with “hard power”.

“Words and sentiment are not enough,” he said.

Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023. Picture: Houthi Movement via Getty Images

“We must stand against the evil barbarism of the Houthi rebels.

“Their dangerous actions have consequences that impact us all. Australia has a clear role to play, as we have done so in the past across the globe.”

Mr Albanese has previously said Australia’s navy was primarily focused in the Indo-Pacific, with the federal government instead opting to send an additional six Australian Defence Force personnel to assist the US-led multinational naval force in the Middle East.

“There has been no request on a government-to-government level,” Mr Albanese said in December.

“The US certainly understands that our priority and the role that we play in the region is very significant.”

But Mr Hastie said Labor’s “reluctance” to meet the United States’ “modest request” for a maritime contribution to Red Sea crisis was “deeply troubling”.

“This is a significant moment in global security – and the situation appears to be escalating,” he said in a statement with Mr Dutton.

“The Government’s weak response to the Red Sea crisis makes Australia a less reliable partner and ally at a time when our alliances are becoming increasingly important.

“Failing to contribute in a more meaningful way to the international coalition to secure this critical trade route was a weak and incompetent decision from a government that doesn’t seem to understand national security.”

In a joint statement with the US, UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Singapore, Denmark, Belgium and Bahrain, the Albanese Government has called for the “immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews”.

“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways,” the statement said.

Australia and allies have called on the Houthi rebels to immediately stop attacks in the Red Sea. Picture: Houthi Movement via Getty Images

The countries said the final warning came in light of a “significant escalation” of attacks in the past week targeting commercial vessels with “missiles, small boats and attempted hijackings”.

“Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilising,” the nations said.

“There is no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels.

“Attacks on vessels, including commercial vessels, using unmanned aerial vehicles, small boats, and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such vessels, are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”

Almost 15 per cent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, including 8 per cent of global grain trade, 12 per cent of seaborne-traded oil and 8 per cent of the world’s liquefied natural gas trade.

As the Houthi attacks escalated, international shipping companies have been forced to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant cost and weeks of delay to the delivery of goods.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked at least 24 commercial ships since November. Picture: Houthi Movement via Getty Images

In December the US Central Command, which overseas US operations in the Middle East, requested allies send warships to the region to assist with efforts to protect shipping.

But the Albanese Government ultimately decided not to deploy a ship, instead sending six additional Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to assist the US-led multinational naval force.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said President Joe Biden had made it clear the US “does not seek conflict with any nation or actor in the Middle East”.

“But neither will we shrink from the task of defending ourselves, our interests, our partners or the free flow of international commerce,” Mr Kirby said.

Originally published as Australia, US and allies warn Iranian-backed Houthi rebels to ‘immediately end’ attacks on ships in the Red Sea, but Labor is being urged to