A naval mission in the Red Sea is being discussed by the European Union – media

Euractiv has reported that the European Union (EU) is considering deploying a naval mission to the Red Sea in order to safeguard crucial shipping routes from attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen. According to the article, EU ambassadors are expected to discuss this proposal, which originates from the European External Action Service (EEAS), on Tuesday.

It is important to note that the EEAS had put forward this initiative prior to the recent airstrikes conducted by the United States and the United Kingdom against Houthi targets. The Houthis have been launching drones and missiles since mid-October, targeting commercial vessels heading towards Israel along the coast of Yemen.

These attacks have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The group claims that it is carrying out these attacks in solidarity with Gaza during the Israeli military operation against the Hamas armed group.

The proposal from the EEAS, which has been seen by Euractiv, suggests that the EU operation would have a broader scope, covering the Red Sea and the Gulf.

The mission’s scope and composition remain unclear at this point, but the document indicates that it should involve a minimum of three anti-air destroyers or frigates with multi-mission capabilities for a duration of at least one year.

According to unnamed EU diplomats, the plans could be finalized by January 22 during a summit in Brussels attended by the bloc’s foreign ministers. They also mentioned that the naval mission might be launched by the end of February.

While one source acknowledged the ambitious timeline, they considered it to be realistic. Additionally, there is a general interest among EU member states already involved in the region regarding the Red Sea operation. Euractiv proposed that the EU naval mission could complement the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, which aims to protect ships from Houthi attacks and involves several European nations.

Another option is to focus the potential EU operation around Agenor, a French-led joint surveillance mission in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and part of the Arabian Sea, which already includes participation from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.