The European Union's High Representative has condemned recent threats by Yemen's Houthis to impose a maritime blockade on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, calling them a direct threat to regional stability and a dangerous escalation. In a statement issued on 23 July 2026, the EU also denounced the attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea as unacceptable and illegal, warning that it further inflames an already volatile situation. The EU demanded that the Houthis cease all actions endangering international shipping and the lives of seafarers, and comply with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and UN Security Council Resolutions 2216, 2722, and 2826 on freedom of navigation.
The statement reaffirmed the commitment of the EU's naval operation ASPIDES to protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding international waters, in line with its defensive mandate and operation plan. The EU has no prior coverage on this specific threat in the last 180 days, making this a fresh diplomatic intervention. The declaration carries no concrete EU measures beyond the statement itself, reflecting a routine diplomatic reaction to an external event.