Foreign ministers approve EU Red Sea military mission

EU foreign ministers, including Czechia's Jan Lipavský, approved the launch of an EU military naval mission in the Red Sea at a meeting in Brussels on Monday, with the aim of helping to secure maritime trade routes currently being attacked by Yemeni rebels. The strategic command of the Aspides mission will be based in Greece, but operations will be controlled from an Italian frigate. Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský previously stated that Czechia has no ships to send on the mission but could potentially send people to work in certain staff roles.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been attacking international cargo ships linked to Israel and the West since November, in response to Israel's war on the Gaza Strip and these countries' support of the Israeli government. American and British military forces have been conducting joint air strikes against them since January with occasional help from individual EU member states.