- Greece has formally agreed to lead a European Union maritime security operation in the Red Sea to protect commercial ships from attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen.
- Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ Security Committee ordered the dispatch of a Greek frigate to Operation Aspides.
- Greece, a commercial shipping hub, has experienced significant impacts from Houthi attacks.
Greece on Monday formally agreed to join and lead a European Union maritime security operation in the Red Sea to protect commercial ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants.
The Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ordered the participation of Greek frigates in Operation Aspides (named from the Greek word for “shield”), which began last week.
The mission will be carried out from the military base in Larissa, central Greece, under the command of the Hellenic Navy CDR. Vasilios Griparis.
European Union launches naval mission to protect Red Sea ships from Houthi attacks
Greece, a commercial shipping powerhouse, has been directly affected by Houthi attacks. The port of Piraeus, near Athens, reported a 12.7% decline in container terminal activity in January on an annual basis.
A freight train line whose opening ceremony was held at the Port of Piraeus on June 20, 2014. Greece has formally agreed to join and lead the European Union’s maritime security operations in the Red Sea to protect commercial ships from attacks by Houthi militants. Yemen. (AP Photo/Luisa Gouriamaki, Pool, File)
“It is in the absolute interest of the European Union and an existential necessity for Greece to keep maritime trade lines open,” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said at a parliamentary committee hearing last week. Ta.
He said Aspides’ mission was defensive, adding that Greece would not take part in any US-led offensive against Houthi military targets in Yemen.
US, UK launch joint strikes on more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen, ‘particularly targeted’
The Iranian-backed Houthis say the drone and missile attacks on commercial ships are a response to Israel’s attacks on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, which began in October.
“We have not taken any position on the Houthi issue,” Dendias said. “But we challenge the right of anyone to fire on our ships, on European ships, and on ships sailing through this region and coming to our ports.”
