New Zealand to send defence team to Counter Houthi attacks in Red Sea

As part of an international alliance to maintain maritime security in the Red Sea, New Zealand will send a six-person defence team to the Middle East, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced on Tuesday.

The Houthi group in Yemen, who are aligned with Iran, have been attacking civilian ships in the Red Sea for weeks, allegedly as a form of protest against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the United States and Britain have been attacking them with airstrikes.

"Houthi attacks against commercial and naval shipping are illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilising," Luxon said during a media briefing.

"This deployment ... is a continuation of New Zealand's long history of defending freedom of navigation both in the Middle East and closer to home."

According to the Pentagon, US and British forces launched another series of strikes on Monday, targeting a Houthi subterranean storage facility in addition to missile and observation systems.

The Houthi strikes have caused shipping disruptions worldwide and increased concerns about inflation. They have also increased worries that the Middle East may become unstable due to the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

According to international law, no defence troops from New Zealand will enter Yemen or take part in any conflict; instead, they will support the Middle East's ships' collective self-defense, said Luxon.

According to Foreign Minister Winston Peters, New Zealand's stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict should not be confused with its actions.

"Any suggestion our ongoing support for maritime security in the Middle East is connected to recent developments in Israel and the Gaza Strip, is wrong," Peters said.

New Zealand has been calling for a humanitarian truce, humanitarian pauses and the urgent need for further steps towards a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza.