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EU Engaging with Partners to Confront Houthi Threats

Houthi supporters ride a vehicle carrying the coffin of a Houthi fighter, who was killed in recent fighting, during a funeral in Sanaa, Yemen, 16 January 2024. (EPA)
Houthi supporters ride a vehicle carrying the coffin of a Houthi fighter, who was killed in recent fighting, during a funeral in Sanaa, Yemen, 16 January 2024. (EPA)
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EU Engaging with Partners to Confront Houthi Threats

Houthi supporters ride a vehicle carrying the coffin of a Houthi fighter, who was killed in recent fighting, during a funeral in Sanaa, Yemen, 16 January 2024. (EPA)
Houthi supporters ride a vehicle carrying the coffin of a Houthi fighter, who was killed in recent fighting, during a funeral in Sanaa, Yemen, 16 January 2024. (EPA)

The European Union is actively working with its partners to tackle the security threats posed by the Houthi militias in the Red Sea, aiming to find effective solutions to address these challenges.

Luis Miguel Bueno, the EU’s regional media officer for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that EU countries are closely watching the situation in the Red Sea, especially the recent US and British strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organization early on Tuesday received a report of an incident in the Red Sea about 57 nautical miles northwest of Eritrea’s Assab.

Vessel and crew were reported safe and are proceeding to their next port after security personnel on the ship “fired warning shots and small craft departed,” UKMTO said in an advisory note according to Reuters.

Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis have stepped up attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza. Various shipping lines have suspended operations, instead taking the longer journey around Africa.

In exclusive remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Bueno stressed that the EU is closely monitoring developments in the Red Sea (Operation Prosperity Guardian), stating that the Houthi attacks are a violation of international law.

Bueno underscored the urgent need to respect UN Security Council Resolution 2722.

He strongly condemned Houthi assaults on commercial ships and crews, stating they pose unacceptable threats to regional maritime security and peace, requiring an international solution.

The diplomat disclosed the EU’s active engagement with partners to counter Houthi threats and find effective solutions.

Ongoing discussions within the EU focus on a coordinated European mission in the Red Sea.

The EU spokesperson declined to provide more details about the planned mission in the Red Sea, saying the information will be shared at the appropriate time.

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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
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Baghdad Urges Washington to Prevent ‘Imminent’ Israeli Strikes

Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)
Sudani visiting a market in Baghdad on Thursday (Government media)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Thursday called on major powers to “exert greater efforts to end the war in Palestine and Lebanon.” Meanwhile, an Iraqi government official urged the United States to “prevent any attacks on the country,” referring to potential Israeli strikes.
During a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Al-Sudani stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not escalate “to a level that threatens regional and global stability.”
The Iraqi prime minister’s appeal comes amid reports suggesting that Israel may launch strikes on Iraq in retaliation for attacks by Iraqi armed factions targeting Israeli positions.
The Iraqi government is striving to assert its exclusive authority over weapons and war-related decisions. However, armed factions affiliated with the Axis of Resistance openly claim responsibility for near-daily rocket attacks on Israel. This has provided Israel with a justification for potentially targeting Iraqi territory, especially after it filed a complaint with the UN Security Council against six Iraqi factions and held Baghdad responsible for the attacks.
These factions have also openly declared their involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel in Lebanon and Gaza. The Iraqi government has been unable to take decisive action to halt the activities of these factions, which many believe could soon expose Iraq to an Israeli strike.
According to media reports, Washington has warned Baghdad that Israeli airstrikes on Iraq are “imminent” unless the Iraqi government curtails attacks by Iranian-backed factions on Israel. The Times of Israel cited sources indicating that the United States has “exhausted all means of pressure on Israel” and urged Iraq to act swiftly to prevent such attacks.
Despite repeated assurances from the Iraqi government—including its recent adoption of 12 measures by the National Security Council to counter Israeli threats and complaints—the situation remains tense. These measures include monitoring Iraq’s western borders, preventing factions from launching attacks, and maintaining Iraq’s neutrality in the ongoing conflict.
On Wednesday, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi, Secretary-General of Kata’ib Hezbollah, made a striking statement on the role of resistance factions in the war and their commitment to the Unity of Fronts doctrine frequently mentioned by Axis of Resistance groups.
In an interview published by the faction’s media arm, Al-Hamidawi said: “The continuity of the Unity of Fronts concept depends on what the Lebanese Hezbollah decides.”
Al-Hamidawi also emphasized that resistance factions are constantly coordinating internally and with external partners such as Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Palestinian resistance leaders.
“We aim to ensure that the Palestinian people are not left alone and that the Unity of Fronts remains intact,” he stated.
Fadi Al-Shammari, a political advisor to Sudani, reiterated that Israel’s threats “are not new,” citing the recent complaint filed by Israel with the UN Security Council as part of its pattern of issuing threats.
In media statements, Al-Shammari reaffirmed the Iraqi government’s long-standing position: “The decision of war and peace lies solely with the Iraqi government.”
He noted that the factions’ attacks are being launched from areas outside Iraq’s borders, specifically from Syria. However, he stressed that the Iraqi government is working through its security and military agencies to prevent Iraq from becoming a battlefield for external or internal parties.
Al-Shammari also called on the United States to fulfill its responsibilities under the Strategic Framework Agreement and security pact with Iraq, emphasizing the need to deter and respond to any external attacks that threaten Iraq’s internal security.