EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced this on Monday evening after a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels. According to diplomats, the operation should ideally start next month and end the attacks by militant Islamist Houthi from Yemen.
The militant Islamist militia wants to use shelling of ships to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, which followed the unprecedented Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7th. According to current plans, the EU operation will involve sending European warships and airborne early warning systems to the region to protect cargo ships. However, participation in the US attacks against Houthi positions in Yemen is not planned.
Given the dangers, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. This now has a significant impact on the global economy. The USA and Great Britain have recently proactively attacked Houthi targets in Yemen.
The original plan failed due to resistance from Spain
The EU’s original plan was to simply expand the mandate of the existing anti-piracy operation “Atalanta” in the Indian Ocean for operations in the Red Sea. However, this plan failed due to resistance from Spain, which is currently the lead nation in Operation Atalanta.
The reason for the veto was a dispute within the Spanish government coalition over the country’s participation in military operations in the Red Sea. Leftists in particular sympathize with the desire to persuade Israel to stop military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, Houthi rebels said they attacked a US military cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden. It was the “Ocean Jazz”. No further details were initially available.
