EU: Red Sea shipping increases 60% after Houthis reduce their target range

Rear Admiral Vassilios Griparis, commander of the European Union's Aspides naval mission, said that traffic in the Red Sea has increased by 60 percent to 36-37 ships per day since August 2024, but that is still lower than traffic levels before Yemen's Houthi group began attacking ships in the area.

In an interview in Madrid, Gribaris added that the number of commercial vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait has increased after the movement's missile and drone attacks slowed and after it signed a ceasefire agreement with the United States, according to Reuters.

However, he noted that shipping traffic has not yet returned to the daily average it was before the Houthis launched attacks in the Red Sea in November 2023 "in support" of Hamas in the ongoing Gaza war with Israel. This average ranged between 72 and 75 ships per day. The average reached its lowest level, between 20 and 23 ships per day, in August of last year.

The Aspides mission was established to protect navigation along the strategic trade route connecting the Mediterranean, the Gulf, and Asia via the Suez Canal. The mission's mandate was extended in February when it was also tasked with tracking illegal arms shipments and monitoring ships transporting sanctioned Russian oil.