Brussels: Irans Houthi allies in Yemen must cease all actions that endanger international shipping and the lives of seafarers, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Thursday. Recent threats by Yemens Houthis to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia "pose a direct threat to regional stability and constitute a dangerous escalation", Kallas stated.
According to TRTworld.com, the Houthis on Thursday claimed responsibility for striking two Saudi oil tankers as part of a blockade on Saudi Arabia. This action threatens to create another chokepoint on global oil supplies alongside the Strait of Hormuz. Kallas emphasized that such attacks were "unacceptable" and exacerbated the already fragile situation in the region.
Kallas insisted that navigation must remain unimpeded in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. She highlighted that the EUs ASPIDES naval operation remains committed to protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding international waters.