The European Union's maritime security mission 'Aspides' raised the security threat level in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the coast of Yemen and the southern Red Sea from medium to high on Friday, following the attack by Houthis on a Saudi tanker earlier this week.

The command of the 'Aspides' mission in the Greek city of Larissa announced an update to its security assessment of the region, amid ongoing regional conflicts, noting that the security situation has changed significantly and the risk of escalation remains high.

The European mission kept the threat level in the northern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at 'medium'.

The 'Aspides' mission said that ongoing developments in the region, particularly the widening war between the United States, Israel and Iran, have significantly affected the maritime security situation.

The mission called on maritime navigation workers to continuously adhere to approved security measures and communicate with competent maritime security centers, taking into account the current threat level when planning voyages.

It also recommended completely avoiding Yemeni territorial waters and sailing, where possible, near the African coast to reduce the risk of exposure to potential attacks.

For his part, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed concern over the developments, saying he is 'deeply concerned' about the resumption of Houthi attacks. Guterres added that these attacks threaten further escalation of tensions in the region.

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