EU slams 'unacceptable' Houthi Red Sea tanker attack

The European Union's top diplomat demanded on Thursday that the Houthis "cease" attacks on ships in the Red Sea, after a Saudi vessel was hit by the Iran-backed rebels.

"The attack on an oil tanker in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal and further inflames an already volatile situation in the region," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement.

"The Houthis must cease all actions that endanger international shipping and the lives of seafarers," she added.

The attack on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea brought the war roiling the Middle East to a new front and sent oil prices surging.

Earlier this week, the Houthis said they had struck two Saudi oil tankers after declaring a blockade of Saudi ports.

Kallas said an EU naval mission deployed in the Red Sea to help ships pass through the vital waterway "remains firmly committed to protecting freedom of navigation for all".