Greece takes charge of EU naval mission in Red Sea

Greece on Monday formally agreed to participate in and lead an EU maritime security operation in the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

The security council, led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ordered a Greek frigate to take part in Operation Aspid – named after the Greek word for “shield” – launched last week.

The mission will depart from a military base in Larissa in central Greece and will be commanded by Hellenic Navy Commodore Vasilios Griparis.

As a major commercial shipping country, Greece has been directly affected by the Houthi armed attacks. The port of Piraeus near Athens reported a 12.7% year-on-year drop in activity at its container terminals in January.

“We all understand that participating in this operation involves risks, significant risks,” Defense Minister Nikos Dendias said during a visit to the naval frigate Hydra at a naval base near Athens on Monday.

The frigate set out for the mission late Monday.

“Greece, as a maritime power that plays a leading role in global shipping, attaches great importance to the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and the lives of Greek seafarers,” Dendias said.

Greek officials said Germany, Italy and France would also provide warships to join the Hydra for the mission, with Italy assuming tactical command.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited the German naval frigate Hesse participating in Exercise Aspides during a visit to the Greek island of Crete last week. German authorities said the ship had sailed south to the Red Sea.

Athens officials described the Aspid mission as defensive, adding that Greece would not take part in U.S.-led attacks against Houthi military targets in Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthis say their drone and missile attacks on merchant ships are in response to an Israeli offensive against Hamas in Gaza that began in October.

At a parliamentary committee hearing last week, Dendias said keeping sea trade routes open was a “survival necessity for Greece”.

“We do not take a position on the Houthis,” Dendias told lawmakers at the hearing. “But we do challenge the right of anyone to fire on our ships, on European ships and on ships that are sailing in the area and arriving at our ports.”