Yemeni Crisis

The German government has approved the deployment of armed forces in a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia, a government spokesperson said on Friday.

Greece, France and Italy are among the countries that will participate in the mission, named Aspides, meaning protector.

Greece-headquartered Star Bulk will halt sailings through the Red Sea after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two of its ships in recent days, the group's CEO said.

The Houthis have targeted commercial vessels with drones and missiles in the Red Sea since mid-November in what they describe as acts of solidarity with Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza war.

Commodore Vasileios Gryparis has been appointed EU Operation Commander of the European Union's naval mission in the Red Sea, according to the Official Journal of the European Union issued on Monday.

The EU mission - dubbed Aspides, from the Greek for "shield" - which will be launched in mid-February, aims to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia.

Yemen's Houthi rebels fired two missiles at a Greek-owned ship bound for a port in Iran on Monday, causing minor damage but no injuries to its crew, authorities said.

Reports from British maritime security company Ambrey reveal that a Greek bulk carrier, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, was targeted by two missiles in separate incidents in the Bab el Mandeb Strait. The vessel's crew reported being unharmed, with the ship continuing its course toward its next port destination.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is working "tirelessly" to solve the Red Sea crisis, which is severely disrupting the global transport of goods, its head Arsenio Dominguez told AFP.

The United States military confirmed Thursday its forces conducted multiple strikes against Huthi missile systems as the Yemen-based rebel group prepared to launch attacks that threatened U.S. Navy and merchant ships.

Germany sent a powerful air s frigate on Thursday to join a European Union naval mission in the Red Sea that will be launched in mid-February to protect merchant ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia.

Particularly aiding Saudi-South Korean ties was Biden’s decision to stop selling “offensive” weapons to Saudi Arabia in 2021 caving to pressure from pro-Iran groups to stop supporting Saudi efforts against the Houthis

The leader of Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis has said that the group will further escalate if the Israeli attack on Gaza does not stop.

The Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and most populous areas, have attacked international shipping in the Red Sea since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians, drawing US and British retaliatory strikes since last month.