EU proposes its own mission in the Red Sea in wake of Houthi attacks, as demanded by Spain

The European Union has proposed the creation of A new naval mission in the Red Sea

Published by El País, in response to the increase in attacks carried out by Yemen’s Houthis with support from Iran. The proposal comes at a critical time, as rebels have expressed their intention to continue their campaign on one of the world’s most important sea routes until Israel ends its offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

According to the confidential proposal sent by Brussels to the member countries, this mission will be declared independent by the United Statescalled protector of prosperity, but will cooperate with him through the exchange of sensitive and classified information. This new international deployment under the European flag, designed by the EU External Action Service (EEAS), will consist of at least three anti-aircraft destroyers or frigates with multi-mission capabilities and will have an estimated annual budget of 5.1 million euros.

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Spain, which at the end of December refused to proceed with the mission atlantaWhich aims to combat piracy in the waters near Somalia and in which it currently participates with the frigate Victory, to patrol an area infested by Yemeni terrorists and, instead, sought the creation of an entirely new European operation. With the initiative already on the table, Madrid, like the rest of European capitals, will evaluate its possible accession. The new mission is expected to be approved at the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting on January 22 in Brussels, and if approved, it could begin operating in February.

The EEAS has warned of a significant deterioration in maritime security in the Red Sea, escalating the situation to unprecedented levels following indiscriminate and targeted attacks on ships belonging to Israel. It was only in the last weeks of last year more than 24 raids, Additionally, people have been killed in armed clashes between the Houthis and the United States, underscoring rising tensions in the region.

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The duration of the new European mission proposal will be one year and two variants will be considered: one focused specifically on the Red Sea and the other with a broader scope that will include Red Sea waters. Arabian Sea and Strait and Gulf of Hormuz, This operation will seek to take advantage of the experience gained in other European missions in the area, Agenor

Which monitors more than 400 ships daily in the Strait of Hormuz.

The EU hopes the new mission will fulfill these tasks Continuous analysis and monitoringas well as commercial vessels requiring protection, in close coordination with all allies and including other military operations in the region protector of prosperity And atlanta, This initiative thus reflects the European commitment to international maritime security and stability at key points of global trade.