A US-led military coalition and shipowners are racing to strengthen security in a key artery of global trade in the Middle East, as more than 100 vessels start to divert around Africa to avoid attacks by Iranian-backed militia.
Operation Prosperity Guardian, a strengthened naval task force in the Red Sea unveiled by the Pentagon on Monday, is planning to establish a safe corridor for commercial shipping together with at least half a dozen allies, according to three people familiar with the matter.
The current plan is for Nato naval vessels to provide a shield against drones and missile attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, as opposed to escorting commercial ships in convoys through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait via which 10 per cent of seaborne trade passes.