Josep Borrell Announces EU Mission in the Red Sea to Protect Commercial Vessels from Houthi Attacks

Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, announced on Wednesday that the European bloc plans to launch a naval mission in the Red Sea within the next three weeks, aimed at defending commercial vessels against attacks from Yemen's Houthi rebels. According to the Associated Press, he expects EU foreign ministers to approve the Red Sea mission at a meeting on February 19. Officials say that so far, seven EU countries are ready to send warships and aircraft to the Middle East. The EU is planning this naval mission to protect commercial vessels while not participating in military attacks in the Red Sea, with the goal of safeguarding ships and preventing them from bypassing the global shipping route through the Red Sea. Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in mid-October, Houthi rebels affiliated with the Islamic Republic of Iran have targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea under the pretext of supporting Palestinians, impacting trade costs and routes between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. American and British forces conducted retaliatory strikes on Houthi missile launch bases last week. Previously, a senior U.S. Navy commander in the Middle East stated that the Iranian government is directly involved in the Houthi attacks on ships. Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, had earlier told the Associated Press that attacks linked to the Islamic Republic have extended beyond previous threats in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to waters across the entire Middle East region. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced on January 17 that the 'Ansar Allah' movement, also known as the Houthis, will be designated as an international terrorist organization by the U.S. government within 30 days. The widespread deployment of Indian warships near the Red Sea is aimed at combating piracy. Denmark is joining the U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea. A British warship destroyed a Houthi drone supported by the Islamic Republic. The U.S. has once again urged China to convince the Islamic Republic to reduce Houthi attacks. The Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the U.S. goal in the Red Sea is solely to deter the Houthis and not to escalate tensions.