The Council of the EU today launched the EuNavFor mission Aspides, the maritime security operation set up on 8 the purpose of which is to safeguard the freedom of in the context of the crisis in the Red Sea, where, in the north and south of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the ships are subject to repeated attacks by Houthi militiamen. 'With the launch of EuNavFor Aspides - said the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell - the European Union responds quickly to the need to restore maritime safety and freedom of navigation in a highly strategic maritime corridor. The operation will play an essential role in safeguarding the trade interests and security, for the good of the EU and of the wider international community'.

The mission will be led from the headquarters of Larissa, Greece, by the Greek Commodore Vasilios Griparis and the Command of the military force in the area of operations was entrusted to the Italian Rear Admiral Stefano Costantino. The Mission will be active on the main sea routes that cross the the straits of Bab el-Mandeb and the Straits of Hormuz and in the waters of of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, of the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf. In addition, the operation is coordinate with the EuNavFor Atlanta mission to contribute to the security in the Western Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, and with the other partners.