European Union reaches consensus on Yemen ‘operation’

The announcement was made by Josep Borrell, the head of EU foreign policy, that the foreign ministers of the European Union have tentatively agreed to initiate a naval mission in the Red Sea.

This proposal was put forward by Germany, France, and Italy in response to the Netherlands’ request, as their merchant shipping has been affected by the ongoing Houthi attacks on vessels associated with Israel.

Borrell stated that they have reached an agreement in principle and now need to work on achieving unanimity regarding the start date of the mission.

The European External Action Service aims to establish the mission by February 19 and commence operations shortly after.

It has been reported that the mission will involve at least three naval vessels. Spain has expressed its unwillingness to participate in the mission but is not willing to veto it entirely.

The Houthis, who control the western part of Yemen, declared their intention to intercept any Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza. Following recent air and missile strikes by the US and UK against the Houthis, the group announced that British and American vessels would also be considered legitimate targets.

The Houthis claimed to have attacked the merchant vessel Ocean Jazz on Monday, a cargo ship frequently used by the US military for transporting supplies.

The claim made by the Houthis that they attacked the merchant vessel Ocean Jazz, a cargo ship frequently used by the US military for transporting supplies, has been refuted by the US Central Command, labeling it as “patently false.” Nathalie Tocci, the director of Italy’s Institute for International Affairs (IAI), believes that the EU’s actions in response to this incident are merely for show, lacking proper consideration. Tocci points out that the Saudis have been bombing Yemen for a decade without successfully weakening the military capabilities of the Houthis. Despite Riyadh’s previous opposition to fighting the Houthis, they eventually agreed to a ceasefire last year. Tocci questions the effectiveness of a maritime operation, which is presumed to be defensive rather than offensive, in deterring the Houthis in any way.