Following strikes by Yemen’s Huthi rebels, a plan to establish a naval mission to help defend Red Sea cargo would be discussed by EU nations the following week, officials announced on Friday.
Before US and British forces launched an early Friday attack on rebel-held Yemen, the idea, which had been in the works in Brussels for several weeks, was discussed.
Any EU initiative would aim to support an already-existing US-led coalition that is operating in the crucial shipping route and includes many member states from the bloc.
The details of the size and scope of any EU mission remain to be hammered out and European diplomats said a first discussion would take place in Brussels on Tuesday.
Spain said Friday that it would not take part in any EU naval mission in the Red Sea.
Its defence minister, Margarita Robles, said that “Spain’s position on this subject has always been clear”.
Spain opposed the EU’s initial attempt last year to extend its “Atalanta” operation, which was tasked with policing shipping off the coast of Somalia.
Although Madrid did not provide an official explanation, Spanish media speculated that the rejection was motivated by internal politics, as the Sumar party, a hard-left partner in Spain’s government coalition, is generally against US foreign policy.
At their upcoming meeting in Brussels, diplomats suggested that EU foreign ministers could reach a consensus on creating the new naval mission.
The Iran-backed Huthis have carried out a growing number of attacks on what they deem to be Israeli-linked shipping in the key international trade route since October 7, when Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel sparked the war which is still raging in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The rebels, who have seized control of a major portion of Yemen since a civil war erupted in the country in 2014, are part of a regional Iran-backed “axis of resistance” against Israel and its allies.
The United States and Britain’s predawn airstrikes on Friday contribute to growing concerns about a larger conflict in the region.
The strikes targeted an airbase, airports and a military camp, the Huthis’ Al-Masirah TV station claimed, with AFP correspondents and witnesses claiming they could hear heavy strikes in Hodeida and Sanaa.
