Greece takes the helm in an EU naval mission in the Red Sea

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece Monday formally agreed to participate in and lead a European Union maritime security operation in the Red Sea, to protect commercial shipping from attacks by Houthi militants in Yemen.

A security committee headed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ordered the participation of a Greek frigate in the Aspides operation – named from the Greek word for “shield” – that was launched last week.

Greece, a major commercial shipping power, has been directly affected by the Houthi attacks. The port of Piraeus, near Athens, reported a 12.7% drop in activity at its container terminal in January, on an annual basis.