Source: Arab World Studies, No.2, 2026

Abstract:Since the outbreak of the latest round of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the security situation in the Red Sea has rapidly escalated, with Palestinian Hamas and the Yemeni Houthi forces launching strikes against vessels related to Israel. In response, the U. S. initiated and led the military convoy mission “Operation Prosperity Guardian”, eliciting varied reactions from Middle Eastern states. Based on the theory of club goods, this paper examines the nature, characteristics, and participation of Middle Eastern countries in the “Operation Prosperity Guardian”, and explores its broader implications. The study demonstrates that while the operation is framed as an international public security good aimed at providing universal benefits, it simultaneously exhibits distinct features of a club good. Access to the operation is conditioned on political criteria, and its decision-making and command authority remain concentrated within the United States and its core allies, reflecting a trend of the U. S. privatizing the provision of international security public goods, with its core aim of serving U. S. hegemonic maintenance. However, the U. S. -led military escort operation has failed to effectively curb the Houthi forces, further exacerbating regional polarization, and has not fully restored confidence in Red Sea shipping. This club-good supply mode not only reveals shifts in U. S. Middle East policy but also exerts influence on Red Sea security dynamics, the strategic calculations of regional countries regarding the U. S., and the prospects of the Houthi movement.

Keywords: Red Sea Crisis; Prosperity Guardian Operation; Middle East Maritime Security; Houthi Militia; Club Goods