EU states agree on military mission in Red Sea

The European Union states have reached an agreement "in principle" to launch a military operation to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said following a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.

According to diplomats, the mission should ideally start next month and put an end to the attacks by militant Houthis from Yemen.

According to current plans, the EU mission will involve deploying European warships and airborne early warning systems to protect cargo ships in the region, but there are no plans to participate in attacks by the U.S. on Houthi positions in Yemen.