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Houthi rebels: US operation in the Red Sea – EU prepares support

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Houthi rebels
US deployment in the Red Sea – EU prepares support

Josep Borrell has made a proposal to expand the anti-piracy mandate. photo

© Virginia Mayo/AP/dpa

Houthi rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea threaten international trade. The EU now wants to take part in a US-led military initiative.

The EU is preparing to participate in the US initiative to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea. According to information from the German Press Agency, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has made a suggestion as to how the mandate of the existing anti-piracy operation Atalanta could be expanded. It is currently being examined by the 27 EU member states and should be formalized as quickly as possible.

According to diplomats, at an EU meeting on Thursday only Spain had reservations about the mandate change. It is hoped in Brussels that it is due to domestic political differences in Madrid that can be resolved quickly.

Operation “Prosperity Guardian”, launched by the USA, aims to significantly increase the international military presence in the Red Sea.

The background is that Houthi rebels supported by Iran have repeatedly attacked ships there to prevent them from passing through to Israel. The Houthis’ goal is to force an end to the Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.

Germany wants an EU mandate for participation

Several EU states had already pledged bilateral support for the US initiative. However, Spain and Germany, among others, would like an EU mandate for participation.

According to EU diplomats, the new mandate will enable warships from EU countries to take part in monitoring the Red Sea. It is also conceivable that merchant ships could be accompanied by naval units that have defense systems against missiles and threats. However, it is considered unlikely that participation in pro-active military actions against Houthi rebels will be planned.

The mission of the EU anti-piracy operation Atalanta is to deter and combat pirates off the coast of Somalia and to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to the crisis country. The Bundeswehr was involved in the operation until spring 2022. It is currently being supported in particular by forces from Spain.

The Spanish Ministry of Defense in Madrid recently said whether Spain would take part would depend on decisions made by the EU and NATO. Military officials pointed out that the continuation of the anti-piracy operation in the Indian Ocean was also important because there had been several attacks recently.