European Union Launches Operation Aspides to Restore Red Sea Shipping

The European Union is conducting Operation Aspides, a defensive naval mission across the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and the Gulf. The operation aims to restore maritime shipping in a region where transit volumes have plummeted by 60% since October 2023.

The mission follows a period of instability caused by attacks from the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia based in Yemen. These attacks prompted a wide-scale disruption of global trade routes, leading to the current EU intervention to secure the waterways.

The deployment occurs after the Federal government of the United States entered a ceasefire with the Houthis in May. The EU naval authority is now working to stabilize the environment for commercial shipping to recover the significant losses in transit volume.