SANAA/BERLIN (own report) - Following the death of three sailors in another Houthi militia attack on a freighter in the Gulf of Aden, the situation in the operational area of Germany’s state-of-the-art frigate, The Hessen, continues to worsen. In response to the attack there is likely to be a renewed wave of US-British strikes on Houthi (Ansar Allah) positions in Yemen. Yet it is highly unlikely that this firepower will dissuade Ansar Allah from launching further attacks on merchant shipping. The Hessen has been deployed to the Red Sea and neighbouring waters as part of Operation Aspides, the EU’s own maritime security mission to protect merchant ships. The vessel’s initial actions have not been a success. Its anti-drone missiles have missed their target several times, including an attempt to bring down a misidentified US drone. German naval circles speak of beginner’s mistakes and the need to learn lessons: “What the ship and crew lack is war experience.” The German navy is keen to gain this war experience. The Hessen can spy on large parts of Yemen thanks to its advanced technical equipment. The data yielded can be passed on to the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, taking place alongside the EU’s own Operation Aspides in the Red Sea. This capability could have far-reaching consequences for regional tensions, although it remains uncertain as to whether the data will be used for strikes on Houthi positions. Read more

BERLIN/SANAA (own report) - The German government is backing an ultimatum that threatens military action against Houthi militias in Yemen. This comes in response to attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. Led by the US, twelve countries, including Germany, announced on Wednesday that they would hold “malign actors accountable” for attacks on “the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways” if they did not cease their activities “immediately”. The UK, which also supports the threat, is already preparing air strikes on positions of Ansar Allah, as the Houthi militias are officially known. London is also considering attacks on Houthi boats. Berlin wants to dispatch ships to the Red Sea as part of the US-led naval coalition, called Operation Prosperity Guardian, but has not yet clarified either the formal framework in which this may take place or the choice of warship available for the purpose. The earlier plan to extend the mandate of the EU’s Atalanta operation at the Horn of Africa to the Red Sea has recently fallen through. Meanwhile, Ansar Allah has committed to continuing attacks on merchant shipping until Israel stops its brutal war on Gaza. Read more

BERLIN/WASHINGTON/SANAA (own report) – Some German business representatives and politicians in the FDP are calling for a deployment of the German Navy to the Red Sea. This comes in response to US efforts to forge a multinational naval coalition to combat the current attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militias on merchant ships. The Houthi’s say their attacks are intended to increase the pressure on Israel to cease its onslaught in the Gaza Strip. The shelling of merchant ships at the weekend led to some of the world’s largest shipping companies, including Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd, cancelling voyages through the Red Sea. If the danger continues, shipping will have to take long detours, which will sharply drive up costs. Washington is keen to prevent the situation from spiralling out of control. A major war in the Middle East would tie down its forces in the region and thwart American moves to focus entirely on the power struggle against China. Demands for German warships to be sent to the Red Sea have been voiced by FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. Should the conflict escalate, Germany would find itself party to an open-ended war in the Middle East. Read more

BERLIN/RIYADH (Own report) - Despite Saudi Arabia's sea blockade, starving Yemen, Germany continues upgrading the Saudi Coast Guard's weaponry. At the beginning of November, a cargo vessel carrying two patrol boats for Saudi Arabia left the Baltic Sea headed for the Red Sea. The Saudi Coast Guard is also operating in Yemeni waters, where Riyadh has been blocking the entry of food, fuel and medicine into Yemen since 2015. Saudi Arabia is also blocking container ships with humanitarian aid supplies, which had been inspected for possible arms smuggling and given United Nations clearance. Even vessels transporting medicine under UN control were delayed for months permitting a significant portion to expire. The number of suspected cholera infections is climbing toward a million. The famine caused by Riyadh - also possibly using German patrol boats - could cost "millions" of lives, the United Nations estimates. Read more