Yemen/Red Sea: Statement by the Spokesperson on the attack against a Dutch-flagged vessel

The EU strongly condemns the Houthis' attack against the Dutch-flagged merchant vessel MINERVAGRACHT in the Gulf of Aden on 29 September. 

The attack endangered the lives of the crew, who had to be evacuated by EUNAVFOR ASPIDES’ naval assets, operating under a strictly defensive mandate to protect freedom of navigation. 

These attacks must stop. They violate international law, threaten regional peace and stability and directly impact on global commerce and freedom of navigation as a global public good. The attacks also aggravate further the already dire humanitarian situation  and the peace prospects in Yemen. 

In this respect, the EU underscores that the UN Security Council Resolution 2768 (2025) must be fully respected.