The Aspides EU military operation started in February 2024 to protect vessels against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants in the southern Red Sea and aims to ensure the freedom of international shipping.
Multiple EU member countries contribute to the mission, including Germany, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The U.S. carried out a short-lived bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this year to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, during which American military battle plans were infamously shared with a journalist on Signal.
