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Egypt Supports EU ASPIDES to Protect Security of Red Sea Navigation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Vasileios Gryparis, operation commander of the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission. (Egypt’s Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Vasileios Gryparis, operation commander of the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission. (Egypt’s Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Supports EU ASPIDES to Protect Security of Red Sea Navigation

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Vasileios Gryparis, operation commander of the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission. (Egypt’s Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with Vasileios Gryparis, operation commander of the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission. (Egypt’s Foreign Ministry)

Egypt expressed on Wednesday its support for the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission, established in February to protect navigation in the Red Sea.

Tensions escalated in the Red Sea region at the end of November, with Yemen’s Houthi militias targeting ships passing through the shipping lane in response to the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

These attacks prompted international shipping companies to change their route and avoid passing through the Red Sea canal, which had repercussions on the economy and global trade.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty emphasized the need to strengthen efforts to secure navigation in the Red Sea amid escalating regional tensions, according to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

His remarks came during a meeting in Cairo with Vasileios Gryparis, operation commander of the European Union’s ASPIDES naval mission.

The minister pointed to the necessity of ensuring a safe environment for commercial vessels, adding that threats to navigation in the Red Sea have significantly impacted the Egyptian economy by reducing Suez Canal revenues.

“Egypt is one of the most impacted countries in the world because of this situation,” he underlined.

The Suez Canal is one of the main sources of hard currency in Egypt. Its revenues last year amounted to $10.3 billion, according to official data.

But these revenues have witnessed a decline in recent months, due to regional perturbations. Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly said in a press conference last week that his country was losing between $500 and $550 million a month due to the Red Sea tensions.”

Gryparis expressed commitment to engaging with the affected countries, particularly Egypt and reviewing successful operations against Houthi attacks.

Stressing the need for coordinated efforts to secure navigation in the Red Sea, the EU official pointed to “the defensive nature of the European naval operation in the face of threats,” reviewing the successes it achieved in deterring many Houthi attacks.

In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, strategic expert and head of the Arab Foundation for Development and Strategic Studies, Brigadier General Samir Ragheb, said: “Egypt is concerned with protecting the security of navigation in the Red Sea, and believes that the only way to do so is to stop the escalation and war on the Gaza Strip.”

“Cairo’s support for the European mission falls within this context,” he added.

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Arab World

Lebanon: Mysterious Evacuation Calls Renew Fears of Israeli Strikes

A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)
A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)
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Lebanon: Mysterious Evacuation Calls Renew Fears of Israeli Strikes

A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)
A Lebanese soldier secures participants during a marathon in Beirut last week (AP)

A wave of anonymous phone calls urging residents to evacuate buildings in southern and eastern Lebanon sparked fresh panic on Saturday over potential Israeli attacks. Though the threats later proved to be unfounded and traced to local sources, the incident unfolded amid heightened tensions and the continued presence of Israeli military aircraft in the skies above South Lebanon.

According to local media reports, Lebanese citizens in the town of Tammine in the Bekaa Valley (eastern Lebanon) received phone calls urging them to evacuate a residential building. Security forces immediately launched an investigation into the origin of the calls, while residents evacuated the building as a precaution.

After coordination with Lebanese security agencies, authorities confirmed the caller was Lebanese and the threat lacked credibility. Legal measures were initiated against the individual responsible for the hoax threat.

Security sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the calls were made from within Lebanese territory, and the numbers are being tracked using technical means. “We are monitoring these calls and pursuing those responsible,” a source said.

This incident is the latest in a series of similar events. Over the past few months, especially during the expanded conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, hundreds of Lebanese citizens have received anonymous calls warning of imminent strikes, spreading fear across communities.

Lebanese authorities have arrested around 20 individuals linked to these threats. Security officials noted that during periods of active conflict, Lebanon’s military intelligence identified coordinated foreign campaigns - some linked to Israel - aimed at inciting fear among the population.

“These calls were part of organized external efforts, and in some cases, the Lebanese army’s intelligence managed to trace and neutralize them by blocking digital access points used to relay such messages,” a security source explained. “They were indeed causing panic among residents.”

Residents, particularly in southern Lebanon, say they have no choice but to treat such calls seriously. Israel has occasionally issued official warnings ahead of attacks, as seen in two incidents in Beirut’s southern suburbs after a ceasefire agreement took effect. However, in other instances, Israeli aircraft have carried out strikes without warning, further fueling concern among civilians and prompting widespread caution.

Saturday’s panic was further heightened by intensified Israeli aerial activity over southern Lebanon. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported low-flying Israeli fighter jets over the villages and towns of Tyre district, as well as over Jezzine and the eastern sector of the south.

Local activists also reported Israeli drones flying at low altitude above the Litani River basin. One drone reportedly dropped two sound bombs over the Wadi al-Asafir area in the town of Khiam.