Media: How Houthi Red Sea attacks risk pulling EU deeper into wider Iran conflict

Fears are mounting in Brussels that the decision by Houthis to align more closely with Iran could draw the European Union’s Red Sea naval mission into a wider regional conflict it was not designed to address, Euractiv reports.

Operation Aspides, the bloc’s maritime security operation in the Red Sea, issued a warning over the weekend after the Iran-backed group launched a ballistic missile and drone strike towards Israel.

The mission cautioned that attacks on commercial shipping could resume in both the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

According to the statement, military assets deployed under the operation have not yet been increased, meaning merchant vessels requesting protection may face longer waiting times. EU member states currently contribute a limited number of frigates to escort commercial shipping through the corridor.

The mission, established in 2024, is mandated to safeguard freedom of navigation in response to repeated Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. However, diplomats told Euractiv that the group’s deeper involvement in the conflict risks complicating an already fragile security environment and could deter capitals from further commitments.

Other officials stressed that the operation’s core mandate remains unchanged and does not extend to mediating the broader conflict. They added that European vessels have not yet been directly targeted.

EU diplomats noted that while the mission is authorised to respond defensively if attacked, any escalation could increase the risk of the bloc becoming more directly involved. Leaders agreed on 19 March to only a limited reinforcement of the mission and ruled out expanding its scope into the Strait of Hormuz.

Separately, more than 30 countries led by France and the United Kingdom are reportedly exploring a potential future initiative to protect shipping in the Gulf, but only once hostilities subside.

By Aghakazim Guliyev