The EU’s foreign policy chief, in a statement, while condemning recent threats by Yemen’s Houthis against Saudi Arabia, stressed the necessity of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.

Kaya Callas said that the imposition of a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia by the Houthis is considered a direct threat to regional stability and indicates a dangerous escalation of existing tensions.

She called the attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea unacceptable and illegal, and emphasized that freedom of navigation must be ensured and preserved in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, without any obstacles.

The EU foreign policy chief, stating that the Houthis must immediately end all actions that jeopardize the security of international shipping and the lives of sailors, announced the continued decisive deployment of the EU’s naval operation “Aspides” in the Red Sea and the international waters around it.

Callas noted that this operation is an action within the framework of a defensive mission to ensure freedom of international shipping.