Greece to join naval coalition to protect Red Sea shipping

Greece Defense Minister Nikos Dendias announced that his country will join a US-led naval coalition to protect the Red Sea global shipping lane.

The Minister added that a Greek navy frigate will join the task force on orders from Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

As a foremost shipping nation, Greece had a “fundamental interest” in addressing a “massive threat” to global maritime transport, Dendias said in a televised statement.

The task force announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday initially included Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen say their attacks on passing container ships are in support of Palestinians.

The attacks in waters leading to the Suez Canal, a chokepoint for about 10 percent of global trade, have forced many shipping companies to divert their vessels.