European Fleet Enters The Red Sea

The CSG25 Fleet includes the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, the destroyer HMS Dauntless, the frigate HMS Richmond, and the support vessel RFA Tide Spring. It also comprises warships from Norway, Spain, and Canada, as well as several attack and support aircraft, including F-35 fighter jets.

The fleet departed from Portsmouth in southern England on April 22 and is set to continue its mission in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. After recently passing through the Suez Canal, the fleet plans to navigate the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to reach the Indian Ocean.

Given that the recent US-Yemen agreement does not involve British ships, there is a possibility that the fleet may encounter Yemeni armed forces in the Red Sea. Consequently, the European fleet has devised plans to respond to any potential Yemeni attacks; if conflict arises, they are prepared to target positions in Yemen using F-35 fighter jets.

The Yemeni armed forces have previously attacked British-affiliated commercial ships in response to the involvement of British forces and aircraft in the air campaign against Yemen, as well as the UK’s support for Israel’s conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Despite a ceasefire agreement brokered by representatives of Trump and Ansar Allah in Oman, tensions remain high. A recent joint British-American military operation against Yemen has gone unanswered by the Yemeni army, heightening the likelihood of a retaliatory response.

What’s particularly noteworthy about this situation is that Trump’s policies appear to be most detrimental to his allies. The ceasefire agreement with Yemen largely prioritizes American interests, leaving European and Israeli ships vulnerable to attacks from Ansar Allah.