Borrell explained specifics of EU military mission in Red Sea
Photo: High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell (Getty Images)
The European Union mission to protect commercial ships from attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea will have a purely defensive nature, stated the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
According to the diplomat, unlike the American-British operation Prosperity Guardian, which involves airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, the future EU mission will focus solely on protecting commercial ships and their assets.
The mission "is a shield; it’s purely defensive," said Borrell. "Our purpose is not to conduct any kind of attack, but just to defend."
"It will be deployed at sea … (and) will not conduct any operation on land," he added at a speech at the EU-Indo Pacific forum.
The mission is expected to be approved at the meeting of EU foreign ministers on February 19th.
Attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels and the Western response
Since November 2023, Yemeni Houthi rebels have been regularly attacking commercial ships in the Aden Strait and the Red Sea using drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. The first attacks began immediately after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
In response to numerous shelling incidents on merchant vessels, on January 12th, the United States and the United Kingdom initiated missile strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen.
On January 17th, the United States designated the Houthis as a global terrorist organization.
After more than a dozen strikes failed to halt the group's attacks on foreign vessels in the Red Sea, the White House began developing plans for a prolonged military campaign against the Houthis.
On January 22nd, Josep Borrell announced that EU countries had reached a fundamental political agreement to launch the Aspides military operation to secure the safety of maritime trade in the Red Sea. It is intended to put an end to Houthi attacks on commercial ships.
