Rear Admiral Vasileios Gryparis, the commander of the EU’s Aspides naval mission, has reported a notable increase in Red Sea marine traffic since August 2024. The daily number of ships transiting the crucial waterway has risen by 60%, reaching 36-37 vessels per day, reports Reuters.
Fall In Transits
Despite a decrease in Houthi attacks on merchant shipping, traffic through the Red Sea remains significantly below pre-November 2023 levels, according to Gryparis. While daily ship transits reached a low of 20-23 in August last year, this is still far short of the average of 72-75 ships seen daily before the Houthis began their Red Sea attacks in November 2023, in support of Palestinians amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
The naval mission, established to safeguard navigation in this strategic trade route linking the Mediterranean with the Gulf of Asia via the Suez Canal, saw its mandate extended in February. Its expanded duties now include tracking illegal arms shipments and monitoring vessels carrying sanctioned Russian oil.
The last reported attack on a merchant ship occurred in November 2024. Gryparis noted that the Houthis have also narrowed their stated objectives, now primarily targeting Israeli ships, vessels with connections to Israel, or those that have docked at an Israeli port. He suggested that “If you have a vessel that does not correspond to this criteria… There is a huge possibility – more than 99% – that you’re not going to be targeted by the Houthis.”
However, Gryparis cautioned that he could not guarantee merchant ships would not be attacked.
A contributing factor to companies being deterred from using the route is the mission’s lack of sufficient ships. This shortage can cause delays of up to a week for vessels seeking escort through the area. Gryparis revealed that the mission currently operates with only two to three ships at any given time and has formally requested the EU to provide 10 ships to adequately increase its protection capacity.
To date, the mission has provided close protection to 476 ships, successfully shot down 18 drones, destroyed two remote-controlled boats used in attacks, and intercepted four ballistic missiles, demonstrating its active role in protecting maritime commerce.
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Source: Reuters
