EU Raises Alert Level of Naval Mission ASPIDES After Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia

The European Union’s naval operation ASPIDES has raised the alert level of its ships operating in the region, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Friday, reacting to the escalation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.

“The Houthi attacks, supported by Iran, on Saudi Arabia are unacceptable,” Kallas wrote in a post on X. “Given the deteriorating security situation, the EU’s Operation ASPIDES has raised the alert level of its ships operating in the region.”

Kallas added that she had spoken with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud “about de-escalation.” “Maritime passage must be unhindered and tariff-free,” she said. “Europe is helping to protect it.”

ASPIDES is the EU’s defensive maritime security mission, launched in February 2024, to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf. The raising of the alert comes after a week of repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi targets, which have deepened the security crisis on the region’s key maritime routes.

Source: Al Jazeera