Since the onset of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, 260 ships have requested protection and escort from the European Union’s maritime mission “Aspides,” which escorts merchant vessels in the Red Sea.
Sea-news.az citing Al-Hadath, reports that this was stated by a representative of the Aspides mission. He added that approximately 130 ships request escort services each month in the Bab al-Mandab Strait area. According to him, the mission is closely monitoring the security situation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea.
The representative noted that Aspides continuously assesses the security environment in its area of operation and stands ready to safeguard freedom of navigation in accordance with international law within the mission’s defined mandate.
According to the data, since the launch of the Aspides mission in 2024, a total of 2,640 vessels have applied for protection and escort.
