For the ECR Group, Europe must respond firmly to the escalating Houthi attacks threatening Saudi Arabia and other partners in the Gulf, while protecting international shipping and keeping vital trade routes open. Speaking ahead of a vote on a joint European Parliament resolution on the Houthi escalation and its implications for regional security, ECR Shadow Rapporteur Jacek Ozdoba welcomed the broad political support for a common response.

Ozdoba said:

“I am very pleased that, thanks to my initiative, we are now adopting this crucial resolution. It goes to show that, setting aside our differences, we are capable of grasping a vital issue—a point also reflected in the resolution itself.”

For the ECR Group, the recent missile and drone attacks underline the need to maintain pressure on the Houthis and their Iranian backers, disrupt the supply of weapons and military technology, and strengthen the protection of commercial shipping in the Red Sea and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Ozdoba said:

“It has been clearly stated throughout this debate that the Houthis are terrorists. We cannot accept attacks on Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, or the United Arab Emirates—our friends—by terrorists who are bombing and assaulting the innocent inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula.”

The ECR Group also supports strengthening the EU naval operation EUNAVFOR ASPIDES to protect freedom of navigation and ensure that vital shipping routes remain open to international trade.

Ozdoba said:

“Europe must stand in solidarity. This debate and this resolution demonstrate that, beyond our divisions, we recognize where the free world stands, and that our partners will not be left to fend for themselves.”