Overview

• The European Union has officially launched Aspides, a naval mission to protect Red Sea shipping from Houthi rebel attacks.
• Aspides aims to ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, with Greece assuming general command and Italy operational command at sea.
• The mission, set initially for one year, will not engage in military strikes on Yemeni soil but will protect civilian shipping against possible attacks.
• Several EU countries, including France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium, have committed ships to the mission.
• The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping, leading to increased delivery times and costs for shipments between Asia and the EU.