“Europe will
ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our
international partners,” the European Commission President
wrote on X. The Houthis, who control much of war-torn Yemen, have been
attacking the vital shipping lane since November in a campaign they say is in
solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza
amid the Israel-Hamas
war.
An EU official said Friday that the bloc
aims to have the mission — called Aspides,
Greek for shield — up and running in a “few weeks” with at
least four vessels.
The overall commander will be Greek,
while the lead officer in operational control at sea will be Italian, the EU
official said. Italian
Top Diplomat Antonio Tajani confirmed the launch during a
meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, calling it “an important step towards common
European defense.” So far France, Germany, Italy and Belgium
have said they plan to contribute ships.
The EU says the mission’s mandate — set
initially for one year — is limited to protecting civilian shipping in the Red
Sea and that no attacks will be carried out “on Yemeni soil”.
The United States is already
spearheading its own naval coalition in the area and has conducted strikes on
the Huthis in Yemen along with Britain.
An EU official said that there would be “continuous military to military
contact” to coordinate actions with the US and other forces in
the region.
The EU’s 27 countries managed to agree
the Red Sea mission in a matter of weeks as concerns mount that the Huthi
attacks could damage their economies and push up inflation.