Houthi Attacks In The Red Sea Decreased Due To EU Naval Operations

UNSPLASH/Eric Weber ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - International cooperation between naval missions in the Red Sea has reportedly reduced the number of Yemen's Houthis attacks over the past week, Greek Shipping Minister Christos Stylianides told Reuters.

Greece is the headquarters of the European Union's naval operations in the Red Sea, dubbed "Aspides" and in Greek means "sai".

"For us, it is a relief that over the past week we have seen a significant decline in the number and intensity of attacks. This is the reality," Stylianides said, speaking on the sidelines of the Poscodonia Delivery Week in Athens.

This is another proof that the international community can firmly stop this.

Aspides was formed this year to guard ships from Iran-aligned Houthi militant attacks, which have repeatedly launched drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea region since November and have expanded attacks on other busy waters.

The Houthis described their attacks as an act of solidarity with Palestinians in the Israeli war in Gaza.

Stylianides, a former European Union Commissioner, said such political-motive attacks had never occurred again since the Second World War. He said the attack had caused "real impact, geopolitically, commercially, legally, and environmentally".

The recent reductions, he said, show the US-led Aspides and Operation Prosperity Guardian complement each other in helping restore trade freedom in the region.

The Houthis have sunk one ship, Rubymar, and seized another. Three sailors were killed in separate attacks.