German military frigate heads toward the Red Sea for a planned EU mission to protect ships

A German Navy frigate has set sail toward the Red Sea, where Berlin plans to have it take part in an EU mission to defend cargo ships against attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels that are hampering trade

A German Navy frigate set sail on Thursday toward the Red Sea, where Berlin plans to have it take part in a European Union mission to help defend cargo ships from atttacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels that are hampering trade.

The Hessen set off from the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven with about 240 servicepeople on board. The aim is to have it in place once the EU mission is given the official go-ahead and the German parliament has approved a mandate for the ship to join in, which is expected at the end of February.

EU foreign ministers are expected to sign off on the Red Sea mission on Feb. 19. Officials have said that seven countries in the bloc are ready to provide ships or planes.

The Iranian-backed Houthis have waged a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships over Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas, which began in October.

However, the rebels have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

U.S. and British forces have carried out strikes against targets used by the Houthis, seeking to disrupt their missile-launching capabilities. But the EU's foreign ministry chief has said the EU mission — dubbed Aspides, from the Greek for “shield” — won't take part in any military strikes and will only operate at sea.