French Naval Forces to Accompany Ships in Red Sea

The French naval forces are accompanying ships with French interest through the Red Sea region, , the country's top naval commander in the area, Rear-Admiral Emmanuel Slaars, said, cited by Reuters.

• France is working closely with the US-led Prosperity Guardian mission in the area, but the command of French forces remained entirely under French control, he said.
• "The French operation consists of patrolling the maritime zones where the Houthis operate to stop them," Slaars said. "These patrols are in coordination with the Prosperity Guardian operation," he said. "We regularly escort French-flagged ships or with French interests in the Red Sea. We accompany them all along their crossing."
• International military operations have been successful and 80% of container traffic is still travelling via the Bab Al-Mandab straits, he added.