France blames Houthis for escalation of war, defends Red Sea operations
France has blamed Iran-backed Houthis for an escalation in the Middle East after US and British strikes targeted them in Yemen on Friday. The French navy, meanwhile, has defended its use of expensive missiles to down Houthi drones used to attack shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
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France’s maritime commander for the Indian Ocean, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, defended the use of million-euro missiles to down Houthi drones.
In December, the French frigate Languedoc shot down multiple drones while patrolling in the southern Red Sea – at a cost defence analysts estimate at around €1 million per missile.
Slaars told a press briefing in Paris on Thursday that "the cost is not that of the missile we use, but the cost of what we protect".
The French Foreign Ministry on Friday said that Houthis were responsible for the regional escalation due to weeks of attacks on perceived Israel-linked ships in what the Houthis say is in solidarity with Palestinians under fire in Gaza.
It urged the Houthis to "immediately end" these attacks, adding that "France will continue to assume its responsibilities and to contribute to maritime security in the area in link with its partners."
#RedSea | France reiterates its condemnation of the attacks carried out by the Houthis against commercial ships in the Red Sea, which undermine navigational rights and freedoms, and it demands that the Houthis end them immediately.
— France Diplomacy 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@francediplo_EN) January 12, 2024
Full Statement ➡️ https://t.co/c8ufJnKO2Z pic.twitter.com/ZrwVyJHhIc
Sophisticated munitions
The Vice-Admiral said there was "no doubt" the Languedoc was targeted in an incident in early December when the warship used MBDA’s Aster 15 missiles to shoot down two drones coming from the direction of Yemen.
The French commander underlined that not all drones used by Houthi’s are cheap munitions, and some variants being deployed are "quite sophisticated," adding that the downing of reconnaissance drones can head off a more lethal attack.
According to Slaars, Houthi rebels are using shipping-tracking data to identify potential targets, then fly observation drones to scout vessels before attacking them with weaponised drones and anti-ship missiles.
The weapons technology being used by the Houthis is from Iran and "there’s no secret there," the vice admiral said.
The Languedoc has been escorting French-flagged vessels or ships with "French interests" passing through the Red Sea as part of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Much of the European Union's trade to Asia transits through the region and Paris also fears that its overseas territories in the Indian Ocean and Pacific could be affected by the conflict.
Anti-ship ballistic missiles
Slaars added that international military operations were producing results and 80 percent of container traffic was still going through the Bab Al-Mandab straits between Yemen and Djibouti.
When asked whether Paris would take part in direct strikes on Houthis if the situation deteriorated, Slaars said that was not in the remit of the French mission.
Meanwhile, US and British forces struck rebel-held Yemen early on Friday, in what US President Joe Biden called a "direct response" to the "unprecedented" attacks by the Houthis which included "the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history".
An airbase, airports and a military camp were hit, according to the Houthi's Al-Masirah TV station.
In a statement, Biden called the strikes a success and said he ordered them "against a number of targets in Yemen used by Huthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways."
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