Greek Ships Warned to Avoid Yemeni Waters Due to Escalating Maritime Attacks

Greek-flagged ships and those owned by Greek interests operating in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been issued an emergency warning by the Greek Coast Guard to avoid Yemeni waters.

The warning comes after an escalation in maritime attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on the main East-West trade route.

The Coast Guard advisory recommends that ships cross the southern Red Sea and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait at night if possible, and suggests additional safety measures such as limiting crew presence on the ship's exterior and conducting fire drills.

The advisory also proposes deactivating the automatic identification system (AIS) to protect ships from piracy risks. The attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea shipping route have raised concerns about disruptions to international commerce and prompted a US-led international force to patrol waters near Yemen.

Major shippers, including Hapag Lloyd, MSC, and Maersk, have already announced plans to reroute their ships via southern Africa's Cape of Good Hope.