Title: Yemeni Foreign Minister Urges EU to Increase Pressure on Houthis

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak urged the European Union on Thursday to increase pressure on the Iran-aligned Houthis, who have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthi militants, who control the most populous areas of Yemen, have launched waves of drones and missiles at vessels traveling to and from the Suez Canal since November. They claim to do this in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Israeli war against the Hamas militant group in Gaza, but the attacks are disrupting maritime shipping, prompting the United States and Britain to launch strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The 27-member European Union aims to launch its own Red Sea maritime mission by mid-February to help protect ships in the area.