EU Warns Israeli- and U.S.-Linked Ships to Avoid Red Sea Amid Houthi Saudi Embargo

The European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea has raised its threat assessment for the North Red Sea after Yemen’s Houthi movement expanded its maritime campaign to include vessels trading with Saudi Arabia, warning that merchant ships linked to Israeli, U.S., or Saudi interests should avoid the region.

In an advisory issued Wednesday, Operation ASPIDES increased the threat level for the North Red Sea from Low to Medium, bringing the entire Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden under a Medium threat assessment. 

The advisory follows the Houthis’ announcement on this week that they were imposing a “maritime embargo” on Saudi Arabia, a move the EU mission described as a “significant escalation” of the group’s maritime coercion campaign. 

According to ASPIDES, a follow-up notification issued by the Houthis’ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) clarified that “all vessels loading or discharging cargo at or from any Saudi ports are prohibited” from maritime navigation. The EU mission said the guidance indicates the embargo is based primarily on commercial activity involving Saudi ports rather than a vessel’s ownership, nationality, or flag. 

“Considering Houthis’ pattern of behaviour, while announcements of transit bans have served as an indicator of implementing upcoming hostile actions,” the operation said, it now assesses the threat as Medium across the North Red Sea, South Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden. 

ASPIDES recommended that merchant vessels linked to Israeli, U.S., or Saudi interests avoid transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden until the threat level decreases.

While the mission said it is still too early to fully assess the scope and duration of the renewed threat, it warned that previous Houthi attacks suggest vessels could face anti-ship missiles, drones, uncrewed surface vessels, and small-boat attacks. Ships that must transit the region should maintain heightened vigilance and coordinate closely with the Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO), it said. 

The operation also cautioned that, although it has reinforced protective measures, the number of available military assets has not increased, meaning merchant vessels requesting close protection could face longer waiting times. 

The updated guidance comes as security conditions across the Middle East continue to deteriorate following the collapse of June’s memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran. ASPIDES said the regional conflict has expanded beyond Iran to affect the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf, the Red Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Levant, leaving the maritime security environment “highly volatile.” 

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