Australia will not deploy a warship to the Red Sea as part of a nascent US-led coalition in the vital shipping lane, Aussie Defense Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday.

Sky News Australia reported, meanwhile, that Canberra will, instead, contribute 16 troops to the coalition which is being formed to confront the anti-Israel Red Sea operations launched by Yemen’s revolutionaries in support of the Palestinian resistance in face the ongoing brutal aggression on Gaza.

Australia will increase our contribution to the Combined Maritime Force, including up to six additional ADF personnel as part of the US-led Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN

— Richard Marles (@RichardMarlesMP) December 21, 2023

The debate over whether to join the coalition effort had roiled Canberra in recent days as some opposed wading into the Mideast’s messy waters.

Marles said the decision was based on needing warships closer to home to protect shipping lanes in the South China Sea, another important route where tensions are liable to swell.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier indicated his opposition to sending ships to the Red Sea, earning plaudits from China, which said it would have raised tensions had it deployed a warship alongside the US and other Western allies.

The coalition was announced earlier this week, following repeated attacks by Yemeni Armed Forces against ships bounded for the Zionist entity.

The attacks have squeezed global shipping, with many carriers steaming around the Horn of Africa to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Earlier on Tuesday, Spain’s Defense Ministry denied Washington’s claims that it will participate in a multinational force to patrol the Red Sea.

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