The Delegation of the European Union in Yemen condemned on Tuesday the Iran-backed Houthi militias’ seizure of the Galaxy Leader cargo ship on Sunday.
In a statement, it expressed its "strong condemnation of the seizure by the Houthis of the Galaxy Leader in the southern Red Sea."
"Threats to international navigation and maritime security are unacceptable," it added, calling for the immediate release of the ship and its crew.
EU citizens are among the crew, it noted.
The Houthis, who have been sending drones and long-range missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas, seized the Galaxy Leader cargo ship on Sunday in the southern Red Sea, describing it as Israeli-owned.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby described on Tuesday the Houthis' seizure as a "flagrant violation of international law" in which "Iran is complicit."
The Bahamas-flagged car carrier is chartered by Japan's Nippon Yusen. It is owned by a firm registered under Isle of Man-headquartered Ray Car Carriers, which is a unit of Tel Aviv-incorporated Ray Shipping, according to LSEG data.
Iran has denied involvement in the seizure of the ship, which the car carrier's owner on Monday said was taken to the Houthi-controlled southern Yemen port of Hodeidah.
The legitimate Yemeni government condemned the incident, saying it was "Iranian terrorism by proxy".
In an official statement on Tuesday, it expressed its "complete rejection of marine piracy in Yemen’s regional waters that is carried out by the Houthis with the full support of the Iranian regime."
The incident "poses a serious threat to marine navigation and international peace and security," it added.
Moreover, it warned that the "Houthis’ terrorist acts by proxy will only deepen the humanitarian crisis endured by the Yemeni people and compound economic burdens."
It warned that such Houthi attacks will "serve the interests of foreign powers, including transforming the regional waters into an arena for conflict," adding that it would also serve Israel’s expansionist ambitions and embolden armed groups in the region.
The government stressed that the Houthi attacks are a "natural result of the international community’s failure in deterring these militias that have for years carried out dozens of attacks at sea against cargo vessels, oil installations, national interests and civilian areas in neighboring countries."
It called on the countries that overlook the Red Sea to act immediately to confront "Iranian meddling with the security of the region and the freedom of international navigation in one of the world’s most important trade routes."
