News - World: Spain’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday denied Washington’s claims that it will participate in a multinational force to patrol the Red Sea, Anadolu Agency reported.

In a statement released to Spanish media outlets including the ABC and La Vanguardia, the ministry said Spain cannot make the decision unilaterally, and is subject to decisions made by the EU and NATO.

Meanwhile, Spanish media clarified that the parliament did not approve participation in the maritime alliance announced and promoted by Washington, considering the decision to participate as bypassing decision protocols in Spain.

Observers affirmed that the reports from Spanish media represent a blow to the United States, which is attempting to involve and gather several countries into the alliance it announced with the aim of protecting the Israeli enemy entity under the banner of "navigation protection."

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday said Spain would be among the countries joining the 10-nation security initiative "to protect trade in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks."

Yemen has reiterated that the navigational passages in the Red and Arabian Seas are safe and pose no threat to any country's ships, except for ships heading to the ports of the Israeli enemy entity.

Sana'a has emphasized that the intimidation tactics regarding the targeting of Israeli ships, other than what the US has declared, are manipulative and diverge from reality.