The European Union will launch a full naval mission to guard cargo ships in the Red Sea from the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group, whose latest attack – which threatened US aircraft – was intercepted and destroyed.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Wednesday that the fleet would set sail within three weeks, with seven European countries ready to provide ships and aircraft to protect the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
“This is the purpose: the protection of the ship. Intercepting attacks on those ships,” Borrell told reporters ahead of the EU meeting in Brussels.
Borrell stressed that the naval fleet would only be involved in protecting cargo ships passing through the Red Sea and would not be involved in direct combat with the Houthis.
France, Greece and Italy are all vying for the role of leading the naval effort against the Houthi offensive.
The European Union will deploy a naval mission to the Red Sea following a Houthi attack on a British tanker at the weekend. via REUTERS The Houthis have welcomed an all-out conflict against the UK and US, with recent demonstrations in Yemen bringing thousands to celebrate the Red Sea offensive. YAHYA ARHAB/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Borrell said the need to increase protection in the Red Sea was due to demand from businesses shipping cargo through the area, a key trade route linking Europe and Asia that has been plagued by Iran-backed militants.
“A lot of European firms asked us to do that because their business model suffered a lot due to high cost increases and had to go down to South Africa,” he said. “It affects prices, it affects inflation. So, it is a natural endeavor for us to try to avoid this risk.”
The move from the EU came as the United States intercepted another Houthi missile attack targeting American assets on Wednesday.
Iran-backed rebel groups have launched near-daily attacks on cargo and naval vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Getty Images
The US successfully struck a Houthi surface-to-air missile in Yemen that was poised to launch and poses a “definite threat to US aircraft operating in the region,” according to the Central Command.
The US also intercepted another anti-ship cruise missile on Tuesday night that was aimed at the USS Gravely, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer. There were no injuries or damage to the ship as a result of the attack, Central Command said.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike, calling it “a victory for the oppression of the Palestinian people and a response to the American-British aggression against our country.”
The USS Gravely was the target of a Houthi attack on Tuesday, with a rebel missile intercepted. US Navy
The terrorist group appeared to be referring to US and UK coordinated airstrikes against Houthi bases in Yemen to prevent their attacks in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed terror group has been relishing the idea of fighting the US and its allies, with Houthi commander Muhammad al-Attifi claiming that all of Yemen will be ready for war.
“We are ready for a long-term confrontation with the forces of tyranny,” al-Attifi said in a statement earlier this week.
“The Americans, the British, and those who coordinate with them must realize the authority of the Yemeni sovereign decision and that there is no debate or dispute about it,” he added.
With Postal wire
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
