Red Sea crisis: Could a Western military response prompt an escalation in the conflict? | DW News

The US and UK have carried out new joint strikes on houthi Targets in Yemen including on the capital Sana the Pentagon says they’ve hit underground storage sit as well as locations associated with the group’s missile and air surveillance capabilities it’s the second time the two allies have coordinated to attack houthi Targets in

Yemen the houthis have previously vowed to continue their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea we can cross to Washington now and DB correspondents Benjamin Alvarez gruba who is following the story for us joins us hello Benjamin what more can you tell us about these strikes so as you just said Eddie this

Is the second Joint Strike conducted with the UK with the United Kingdom on eight hthy controlled areas in Yemen that’s an operation today that had the support of Australia of Bin of Canada and of the Netherlands that’s what the US Central Command stated in a press release earlier today Washington hopes

That these strikes will degrade the capability that the houthis have to continue their attacks on us and also on UK ships but also on International commercial shipping in the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aden the houthis began attacking these vessels in November they say that they are responding to Israel’s

Offensive in Gaza that is something that Washington denies says there’s no relation between these two conflicts but the houthis vouge to continue targeting shipping until Israel ends the war and they now also after this is strikes that also said that there will be Revenge as you said earlier bamin

This is not the first strike there’s been a couple of strikes in the past but uh it hases not seem to have deterred the houthis so how far is the Biden Administration willing to go to stop them that’s right and that’s also why experts are criticizing that and even

President Biden not acknowledge that that these attacks now these strikes are not stopping them during a White House Press briefing President Biden said that the a Tres were not stopping the hes but also said that the US would keep targeting the group anyways and it’s clear that hoping to degrade the

Capabilities of the houthi is not cursing them to stop the administration says that they are well equipped also by Iran and are likely to continue the attacks on this shipping of these ships in one of the most important is shipping lanes worldwide and therefore the US the

UK that also had conducted the strikes today and other Western Nations that are supporting this Coalition have a geopolitical interest in countering Iran’s use of the houth as a proxy without directly risking its own assets but let’s be frank I mean the war in in Yemen is a forgotten war and experts

Also see this as an opportunity for the houthis who want to rehabilitate the reputation at home to present themselves as the Defenders of Palestinians and of the people of Gaza even though Washington says that it’s not related so the goal to try to beat the houthis militarily without addressing any of

Their demands or what they’re saying is not working neither for the United States nor for Saudi Arabia that has been fighting the houthis for many years there so now broader conflict in the region is definitely something the President Biden does not want to see in this election years his support is also

Fading due to Washington’s unconditional support for Israel right DW correspondent bamin Alvarez guba thank you the European Union has reached a preliminary agreement to launch a military operation in the Red Sea to secure Merchant shipping the eu’s top Diplomat Joseph Burell announced the initiative as foreign ministers met in

Brussels today military force would only be used for defensive purposes European warships and Warning Systems would be deployed employed to repel attacks by Yemen’s houthi militants the operation is expected to begin next month well for more now I’m joined by our correspondent Rosie birchard she’s in Brussels she’s been following this

Meeting of EU forign ministers Rosie good to see you you were at this press conference where Joseph Burell talked about this Mission tell us a little bit more about what he said well the EU here trying to come up with some sort of response to this spiraling violence in the Middle East

Now what barell said is that nothing has been fully decided yet what we’ve had at this meeting of EU ministers is an agreement in principle in fact spr when I asked him so when will this happen and what exactly will it look like well he actually proceeded to list off a series

Of things which still have to be uh decided for example which country would head up this Mission when exactly it would be deployed however we do have some insights because we’ve been in I’ve been in diplomatic briefings on the plan that’s on EU diplomats table still to be

Discussed over the next few weeks and what we’re talking about here is basically a plan to send European warships to the Red Sea region to try and protect Merchant vessels so to protect cargo to accompany them and to defend them now not all EU countries will take part of course there are some

Of you countries which are landlocked and therefore don’t have major any sort of military uh naval military assets at their disposal but there are also some countries that have said they will not take part for example Spain we do expect Bel to send a frigate and likely Germany

Will be participating as well and of course here all of this in response to those ongoing attacks by houthi rebels against cargo ships trying to navigate uh and ship goods through the Red Sea and we understand this Mission the the military would be used only for defensive purposes but still you’re

Going to have you know these these ships they’re going to be possibly In Harm’s Way I’m wondering has there been discussion about whether or not this Mission could prompt possible escalation in what we’re seeing in the Red Sea yeah no doubt there has been discussion about that and EU diplomats

Have been talking about this already for a few days and are likely to do so until February 19th which is when we’re expecting them to come up with some sort of a final agreement I think what they’d say to that uh concern around uh escalation is that this mission is is

Going to be defensive in nature that doesn’t mean however Brent we’re not looking at any sort of action I mean we are talking about according to diplomats I’ve spoken to the capacity to be you know shooting drones and missiles out of the sky if um if there are uh if there

These ships that these that the mission is set to protect are in fact in danger now EU member states are going to be continuing to discuss this however we don’t yet have that final exactly uh how it’s going to how it’s going to finally look like but we know one thing which is

That they will not try to make it exactly any sort of replica of what the United States is doing we know EU member states will not be participating in any us attacks on uh houthi targets with in Yemen uh and in fact one EU Diplomat put

It to me the way he said it he said well actually the European Union here is more cautious than the US tww correspondent Rosie birchard with the latest tonight from Brussels Rosie as always thank you

The United States and United Kingdom have carried out new joint-strikes in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
According to a statement, they targeted an underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis’ missile and air surveillance capabilities.
It’s the second time the two allies have coordinated an attack on Houthi targets in Yemen. The Houthis have previously vowed to continue their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
In response, EU member states have reached a preliminary agreement to launch a military operation in the Red Sea to secure merchant shipping.
The EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell announced the initiative as foreign ministers met in Brussels.
Military force would only be used for defensive purposes. European warships and warning systems would be deployed to repel attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants. The operation is expected to begin in February.

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34 comments

  4. There cannot be any escalation of violence because of the strikes against Houthis in Yemen. Clearly the strikes are meant to degrade Houthi capabilities and it is achieving that purpose. Who will join the Houthis in their attacks? Iran, their sponsor is too scared to join

  5. Awe, the EU wanders around with its tail between its legs as a rabid mouse chases after it and bites it again and again. Afraid to 'escalate' by taking out the mouse, instead getting rabies itself and bitten all over as the rabid mouse keeps biting it. After all, can't hurt a mouse, right?

  7. The repeated air strikes by the US/UK on Yemen constitute an act of war. Yemen has every right to defend herself by destroying aerial weapons AND their launch sites be they land or sea based. Watch out for a big sinking coming up. This is what happens when you wage war against a poor country and couldn't care less about civilian casualties, including women and children. Don't complain when the fireworks come home to roost.

  9. Israel not stopping then
    How possible india and isreal maintains a friendly relationship it us not easier to indian ,induan government both

    It's base is Israel's attacking

  11. Are DW correspondents really saying we should listen to the demands of violent terrorists and pirates? Is this a joke?

  15. international ships are doing fine in red sea. only the UK, USA ship are targeted, why? they the USA and its pets react too fast.

  20. Israel, the USA and the so-called Western Democracies are the worst barbarians in the world. The values they preach such as freedom,equality and justice are empty phrases. They are ruled by injustice,violence,the desire to possess power, territories and valuable goods.

  25. They have been striking hothi rebels in Yemen since 2016. This is nothing new. If this escalates anything then it's seriously delayed by about 8 years.

  27. I think we should strike a private deal instead, that we will ship under the EU flag, we wont let American, UK or Israeli ships to use our insignias officially, in return they will let them pass. I dont think the houthis have problems with the Europeans, neither the Europeans have problem with the Houthis.

  30. me when im escalating in an escalator to escape the escapade that theyre trying to make everything these days

  32. Well done to all UK and Australian special forces on the identification of over 1124 further targets throughout the land of jebels, a rich training ground favored by these operatives.

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