Yemeni Crisis

EU member states want to launch a Red Sea naval mission by mid-February to protect ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia and could decide its command structure on Wednesday, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.

Problems in the Red Sea are estimated to cost an additional $2 billion to Türkiye as personnel costs and prices of certain goods, especially electronic goods, are rising due to the Houthi attacks on ships in the waterway, according to the business associations.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the British oil tanker "Marlin Luanda" in the Gulf of Aden, resulting in a confirmed fire on board, according to maritime security firm Ambrey. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the crew members. The Houthi military spokesman stated that the strike was direct and led to the ship's burning.

The United States has reportedly reached out to China, urging them to use their influence with Tehran to put an end to the ship attacks carried out by Yemen's Iran-affiliated Houthi rebels. Despite repeated discussions on the matter, Washington has encountered limited cooperation from Beijing, as reported by the Financial Times, citing US officials.

In a joint effort, the United States and the United Kingdom executed a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, marking the eighth round of attacks within the past 10 days. The latest operation, carried out on Monday, targeted the rebels' infrastructure, hitting eight specific sites. This joint action received support from Canada, the Netherlands, Bahrain, and Australia.

The United States and Britain launched new strikes on Yemen's Huthis Monday, saying their second round of joint military action against the Iran-backed rebels was in response to continued attacks on Red Sea shipping.

"We apply the rules of engagement in accordance with international law. If we detect a ship approaching in a threatening manner, we follow a specific procedure," K.S. tells Kathimerini.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have declared that Russian and Chinese ships navigating the Red Sea are not under threat, with one leader, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, going so far as to pledge "the safe passage of these ships." However, he issued a stark warning, stating that "Israeli ships or those with even a weak connection to Israel will not have the slightest chance to pass through the Red Se

China called for an end to "harassment" of civilian vessels in the Red Sea on Friday after attacks on ships by Huthi rebels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Huthi aggression against vessels in and around the Red Sea has led to retaliatory strikes in Yemen by U.S. and British forces.

Amidst heightened tensions in the region, Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted the Red Sea port city of Eilat, prompting Israel to activate air raid sirens and respond with defensive measures. Explosions were reported near Eilat, with the Israeli military confirming the firing of an interceptor missile in response to the attack.