Spain will not participate in an EU mission in the Red Sea

Spain will not participate in a possible European Union naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea following attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said, AFP reported.
"We still don't know if the European Union will do a new mission," but if it does, "Spain will not participate in it in the Red Sea because it already participates in 17 missions," Robles said.
"Spain's position on this issue has always been clear," she said.
Next week, EU countries will discuss a plan to set up a naval mission to help protect shipping in the Red Sea from the Iran-backed Houthis, who have launched attacks on ships in response to Israeli bombardment of Hamas militants in Gaza.
The proposal, which has been under discussion in Brussels for several weeks, was tabled before US and British forces launched strikes on rebel-held Yemen.
Any EU effort will seek to complement the US-led coalition, which includes several bloc countries and is already operating along the vital sea route.
Details of the size and scope of a possible EU mission are still to be worked out, and European diplomats said the first discussions would take place in Brussels on January 16.
Last year, the EU initially considered a plan to expand its Atalanta mission aimed at protecting shipping off Somalia, but the move was blocked by Spain.
Although no reason was given, Spanish media reported that the decision not to participate was dictated by domestic politics.
Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez rules in a minority coalition with the hard-left Sumar party, which is generally opposed to US foreign policy.
The Iran-backed Houthis have increasingly carried out attacks on ships they say are linked to Israel along the key international trade route since October 7, when Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel sparked the war that is still raging in the besieged Gaza Strip. /BGNES