News Excerpt:

The European Union recently launched Operation Aspides to protect maritime traffic in the Red Sea, which Houthi rebel attacks have disrupted.

About the Operation Aspides:

• Operation Aspides is a defensive maritime security operation to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
• It will send European warships and early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.
• Its objective is to preserve freedom of navigation in the region plagued with instability since October when Houthi rebels began targeting vessels navigating the waterway with drones and rocket attacks.
• The Houthis are an Iran-backed rebel group that controls a part of Yemen.
• They say their attacks are in retaliation for Israel’s war in Gaza which has so far claimed the lives of some 29,000 Palestinians.
• Apsides has an exclusively "protective" mandate and will only act when there is a threat, with minimum force.
• France, Germany, Italy and Belgium have so far confirmed they plan to contribute ships to the EU mission. 
• Greece will provide a commander for its operational headquarters. 
• Aspides vessels, whose operational command centre will be in the Greek city of Larissa, will have orders to fire on the Houthis only if they attack first and will not be authorised to shoot pre-emptively.

Importance of the Red Sea as a trade route:

• It is one of the world’s most heavily travelled bodies of water, making it a critical piece of global geography.
  • 12% of global trade and as much as 30% of global container traffic passes through this vital waterway.
• Positioned between Africa and the Middle East, this region borders the Indian Ocean to the south and the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea to the north. It serves as a crucial point along the shortest maritime route connecting Europe to Asia.
• It has borders with eight countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea and Djibouti.