EU Launches Red Sea Mission

February 20, 2024

GS Paper II International Relations

Context:

The European Union launched a naval mission to protect the Red Sea shipping lane from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Red Sea Mission Of EU to Secure Red Sea From Houthi Attacks

Red Sea Crisis: The EU Red sea mission was launched in response to an attack on the U.S.-owned cargo vessel in the Red Sea region, specifically targeted twice within two hours in the Gulf of Aden.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have been attacking the vital shipping lane in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war.
Houthis have been attacking commercial and military shipping in the busy Red Sea, across which 12 percent of global trade travels.

EU Red Sea Mission: Aspides

Mission Aspides: The EU plans to operationalize a mission named Aspides, meaning “shield” in Greek, within a few weeks, deploying at least four naval vessels.
Objective of Mission: To Facilitate freedom of navigation on the Red Sea.
Early Warning System: The operation will send European warships and early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.
Mandate of the Operation: The mission will refrain from engaging in offensive actions on Yemeni territory for an initial duration of one year.

Global Impact of Houthi Attacks

Decline in Revenues from Suez Canal: Revenues from the Suez Canal have decreased by 40 to 50% since this year.
Increase in Cost of Trade and Delivery times: Delivery times for shipments between Asia and the EU have increased by 10 to 15 days, and the costs of these shipments have gone up by around 400 per cent.
Decline in Geopolitical Stability: The Israel-Hamas conflict along with Houthi attacks in the Red Sea has further led to a decline in geopolitical stability and caused unrest in the region.
Global Supply Chain Impact: The attacks have disrupted global supply chains, affecting the transportation of goods including energy supplies, food products, and manufactured goods.
Impact on India: The attacks have led to costlier imports, higher energy prices, security concerns for Indian merchant vessels and risk for Indian diaspora in conflict-ridden regions.

Operation Prosperity Guardian

It is the US-led multinational security mission to ensure safe transit through the Red Sea region, under the aegis of the existing Combined Maritime Forces’ Task Force 153.
Allies Participation: A united effort made up of 20 nations, with almost half preferring to remain unnamed.
The Netherlands, Australia, Canada, and Bahrain provided logistical and intelligence support.
While it is expected that the coalition will grow over time, the group lacks named participation from several key allies, including Turkey, Germany, Egypt, South Korea and Japan.

India’s Decision: Countries like India, Italy and France have sent ships to the region on their own initiative, distancing themselves from the U.S. umbrella.

Also Read: Instability In The Middle East

Source: Hindu

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