Officially launched on Feb. 19, the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Aspides is nearing its fifth month of activity. During this period, the mission has conducted several operations in the Red Sea basin and the northwestern Indian Ocean, undoubtedly delivering some desired results. These operations have not only countered escalating Houthi attacks on merchant vessels but also reinforced the EU's role as a global maritime security provider. Still, the maritime coalition's capacity to keep providing sustained, reliable security guarantees hangs in the balance.

The Houthi threat

Since last November, Yemen’s Houthis have been disrupting freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb area by actively targeting vessels on the critical sea line of communication connecting the Indo-Pacific and Europe. These regions together account for over 70% of global trade in goods and services. The ensuing crisis, which has seen over 200 attacks to date, has severely impacted the flow of seaborne trade through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, disrupting global energy and goods supply chains. 

Rerouting the choke point added travel days to reach Europe from East Asia via the Cape of Good Hope, significantly increasing transportation and insurance costs and directly affecting European prosperity and global inflation. The repercussions are further magnified in the European southern states, where ships forced to avoid the Houthi threat by circumnavigating Africa have easier access to Europe through the continent’s Atlantic ports, significantly impacting port activities in the Mediterranean.