On the silent Red Sea, a war without gunpowder has quietly begun.
EU foreign ministers recently approved a naval operation called Shield, which aims to bring a touch of calm to the war-torn seas.
Is this really about protecting ships from the Houthis, though? Or is it to protect those economic interests that are hidden behind the scenes? Let's first take a look at the specifics of this "shield" operation.
According to the German news agency dpa, the EU plans to send ** and an air warning system to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the surrounding waters to form a strong escort force.
Sounds domineering, right? But if you think about it, these ** and early warning systems are not vegetarians, and they have to be prepared to respond to Houthi attacks at all times.
However, these ** got an interesting order: only if the militants make the first move, they can return fire. This is really a bit of a "beaten upright" flavor.
The operational headquarters was based in the Greek city of Larissa, where the inhabitants must now feel that they are living in a military powerhouse.
Truth be told, though, the residents of Larissa may be more concerned about whether the operation will bring them some tangible benefits, such as tourism development or a greater sense of security.
Speaking of the Houthis, this group has been quite active lately. Not only did they attack ships in the Red Sea, but they also claimed that it was retaliation for Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip.
Well, Houthi friends, if you continue to play like this, sooner or later you will drag the entire Middle East region into the water.
But then again, the conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip is not a day or two old, so how can it suddenly become the target of Houthi retaliation? The reason for this is probably only clear to them.
In this Operation Shield, it seems that the most affected country is not Israel, but Egypt. According to an EU**, the Suez Canal Authority lost about 40 percent of its revenue due to the decline in traffic.
It's a laughable thing, and the Egyptians are probably now figuring out how to minimize their losses. Perhaps, they can consider developing other tourism resources in the Red Sea, such as diving, sea fishing, etc., to attract more tourists to spend here.
Of course, the economy of the European Union has also taken a big hit. Paolo Gentiloni, the European commissioner in charge of economic affairs, has been blunt in saying that the transit time between Asia and the EU has increased by 10 to 15 days and the cost of transportation by about 400 percent due to the rerouting of shipping through the Red Sea.
This is really impressive, after a war, not only the personnel are heavy, but even the economy has been affected so hugely. But then again, this may be the real reason why the EU launched Operation Shield – to protect those vital economic interests.
In this seemingly righteous naval operation, we can't help but ask: is the EU really acting to maintain world peace and stability? Or do you have to do it in order to protect the economic interests that are hidden behind it? Perhaps, the answer to this question is clear only to the EU itself.
However, we can be sure that this "shield" operation will undoubtedly present the EU with a rare opportunity to demonstrate its military strength.
In conclusion, let us hope that this Operation Shield will have the desired effect and bring real peace and tranquillity to the Red Sea region. At the same time, it is also hoped that the EU will truly realize that war is not the best way to solve problems, and that only through dialogue and cooperation can true peace and prosperity be achieved.
Military