The Diplomat
The Ministry of Defense confirmed yesterday that Spain will not participate in the operation promoted by the United States to guarantee the security of maritime traffic in the Red Sea, despite the fact that Washington initially included our country among the allies that would take part in it. On the contrary, he advocated a “new and specific” European mission.
The announcement made by the United States last Tuesday of the ‘Guardian of Prosperity‘ operation, intended to respond to the attacks by Houthi rebels on ships transiting the Red Sea, and the inclusion of Spain in the group of countries that would integrate, caused surprise and discomfort in the Spanish Executive, because it had not been contacted by the US authorities.
Defense already said then that Spain would not act unilaterally, but would do so in coordination with the EU and NATO, but days later, it was learned that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, had blocked the EU’s decision to modify the mandate of the naval operation ‘Atalanta’, against piracy in the Indian Ocean, in which Spain is involved.
The Spanish position was not liked in Washington and the president of the United States, Joe Biden, brought up the issue in a telephone conversation that he had on Friday with Sánchez. Although he, when reporting that conversation on social network X, did not report that the matter had been discussed, a statement from the North American Administration did. The statement noted that the two leaders “highlighted the importance of ensuring that the conflict (in Gaza) does not expand in the region, to include condemnation of the continued Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.”
Yesterday, in another statement, the Spanish Ministry of Defense assured that there is no veto from Spain to an EU mission in the Red Sea and that our country “is and will always be a serious and reliable ally, committed to the EU, the “NATO and the UN.” “The commitment of Spain and its Armed Forces to peace is total and absolute,” he added.
Likewise, he stressed that within the framework of this commitment, any operation with the objective of guaranteeing maritime security in the Red Sea, “has to be a specific mission with its own entity in which the Naval Forces of the European countries that wish to participate participate. and not a mere extension of operation ‘Atalanta’.”
In this sense, he recalled that ‘Atalanta’ is an operation against piracy in the Indian Ocean led and participated only by Spain and that the frigate Victoria is the one that is acting in this mission.
For this reason, he considers it “obvious” that “the nature and objectives of the ‘Atalanta’ mission against piracy in the Indian Ocean have nothing to do with those intended to be achieved in the Red Sea.”
“That is why Spain wants to preserve the ‘Atalanta’ operation, with the current objectives, extension and scope when it is confirmed that the fight against piracy in the Indian Ocean, as is being seen in recent days with two pirated ships in very short period of time, requires maximum dedication,” he stated.
For this reason, he defended that “to have the maximum effectiveness that should be aspired to in the Red Sea” it is “essential” to create “a new and specific mission, with its own scope, means and objectives, agreed upon by the corresponding EU bodies.” “. “A creation that Spain is in no way opposed to,” the Ministry stated.
