EU launches maritime protection mission in the Red Sea

EU foreign ministers will meet on February 19 in Brussels to officially launch a naval mission to help protect international shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by Yemen's Houthis, officials said.
The Houthis, who control most of war-torn Yemen, have been attacking the vital sea route since November in a campaign they say is a show of solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the war between Israel and Hamas.
An EU official told AFP the bloc aimed to have the mission, called Aspides, which means "shield" in Greek, operational within "a few weeks" with at least four ships.
So far, France, Germany, Italy and Belgium have said they plan to provide ships.
The overall commander of the mission will be Greek and the lead operational control officer at sea will be Italian, the EU official added.
The mandate of the mission - originally set for one year - is limited to protecting civilian shipping in the Red Sea and will not carry out attacks "on Yemeni soil".
The United States already heads its own naval coalition in the region and, along with Britain, has been striking the Houthis in Yemen.
An EU official said there would be "continuous contact between the military" to coordinate with the US and other forces in the region.
The 27-nation EU managed to agree the mission in the Red Sea in a matter of weeks, as fears grow that Houthi attacks could damage their economies and raise inflation.
The agreement on the naval mission contrasts with the bloc's problems in forming a common position on the war in Gaza.
Countries such as Spain and Ireland have called on Israel for an immediate ceasefire, while staunch supporters of Israel, including Germany, have refused to support this demand. /BGNES