Shipping in the strategic waters of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has once again come under attack in recent hours, as the European Union announced its own mission to protect shipping in the region .
Houthi rebels, who control large areas of Yemen, have been carrying out attacks on ships in the region since November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a bloody war against Hamas in retaliation for the unprecedented attack on October 7 on Israeli soil.
Faced with Houthi attacks, the United States set up a multinational maritime protection force in the Red Sea in December, called “Prosperity Guardian”, while the European Union announced on Monday the official launch of a similar mission.
“Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, in coordination with our international partners,” wrote the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on the social network X.
Since January, the United States and the United Kingdom have carried out repeated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen without succeeding in ending their attacks, with the latest strike taking place on Saturday.
Again on Monday, new attacks were reported against shipping in the region.
The Iran-backed Houthis targeted “a British ship in the Gulf of Aden, the RUBYMAR, with naval missiles,” according to a statement from Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
Maritime security company Ambrey reported the attack on a “Belize-flagged, UK-registered, Lebanese-operated bulk carrier” in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden .
The ship was heading north from the United Arab Emirates and had its final destination in the Bulgarian city of Varna.
Maritime safety agency UKMTO, run by the British navy, said a ship 35 nautical miles (65 kilometers) from the Yemeni port of Mokha had reported “an explosion nearby which caused damage”. She later clarified that the crew had evacuated and were safe.
The Houthis also said they shot down an American MQ-9 plane, a claim to which Washington has not yet responded.
The EU launches its mission
On Monday, Ambrey also reported that an American bulk carrier flying the Greek flag had reported having suffered a “missile attack” in the Gulf of Aden, before another projectile hit the water 10-15 meters away. of the ship. No injuries or damage were reported in either case and the ship continued on its way to Aden, in southern Yemen.
UKMTO for its part indicated that the cargo ship had reported “an explosion in the immediate vicinity of the ship” before a second in the open also near the boat, causing superficial damage.
This attack has not yet been claimed.
Faced with continued attacks, Qatar called on Monday for a ceasefire in Gaza, which would lead to an end to Houthi attacks which have notably disrupted hydrocarbon deliveries.
Qatar’s Energy Minister, Saad al-Kaabi, also CEO of the state-owned Qatari hydrocarbon giant QatarEnergy, said the “root of the problem” in the Red Sea was “the Israeli invasion of Gaza.”
“I hope that a ceasefire will come soon, in order to put an end to [aux attaques] and their economic impact on the entire world,” he said.
According to the IMF, maritime container transport through the Red Sea fell by almost 30% year-on-year. Before the conflict, between 12 and 15% of global traffic passed through this axis, according to the EU.
From now on, a large part of the maritime traffic between South Asia and Europe avoids the Suez Canal and goes around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, which extends the journey by around two weeks.
Thus, revenues from the Suez Canal, one of Egypt’s main foreign exchange earnings, have “fallen by 40 to 50%” since the start of the year, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al- announced on Monday. Sisi.
After the United States in December, the EU officially launched its own maritime surveillance and patrol mission in the Red Sea planned for one year and possibly renewable.
It will be able to fire to defend merchant ships or defend itself, but will not be able to target objectives on land against Houthi rebel positions in Yemen, according to diplomats.
Several countries have expressed their intention to participate in this mission, notably Belgium, Italy, Germany and France. Spain has indicated that it will not participate.