international merchant

“What we need is a Houthi decision to stop attacking international merchant ships. Period,” Cooper said.

While China does not harass international merchant shipping in the Taiwan Strait, it is frequently angered when warships of the U.S. and its allies transit the strait.

Last year, Washington and its allies blamed Iran for attacking international merchant vessels and what they said was the illegal seizure of a British tanker.

Washington proposed the naval mission after several attacks took place in May and June on international merchant vessels, including Saudi tankers, in Gulf waters which the United States blamed on Iran.

Several international merchant vessels have been attacked in the Gulf this year in incidents that have rocked world commodity trading.