EU’s Aspides Organizes Red Sea Rescue for Cargo Ship in Distress

The EU NAVFOR Operation Aspides took a break from its protection missions in the Red Sea area today, December 5, organizing the rescue of the crew of a general cargo ship that issued a distress call. While the vessel is believed to have been near the Houthi-controlled areas, there are no indications that it was attacked but instead an ordinary casualty situation.

The vessel, the ISA Star (8,257 dwt) had made a port call in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, December 3, according to its AIS signal, and today while underway issued a distress call. Reuters places the vessel about 100 nautical miles from the Houthi stronghold of Hodeidah, Yemen. It was southbound having departed Italy on November 10 and heading to Indonesia according to its AIS signal.

Aspides reports it received a distress call from the vessel reporting engine room flooding and the intention of the crew to abandon ship. Reports indicate there were 20 crewmembers aboard with Reuters saying it was told there was an engine room problem and possibly an internal explosion.

“All crewmembers aboard the MV ISA Star have been rescued,” Aspides said in its statement. It said an unidentified ship from its command was dispatched and the crew is being transported to Djibouti, which it called “the nearest safe port of call.”

The vessel was built in 2000 and has changed names at least six times before being acquired by a UAE management company in June 2024. It has been cited in the past for deficiencies in Port State inspections but has not been detained since prior management in 2022.

Aspides had highlighted in November that it marked nine months of operations. It is under the leadership of the Hellenic Navy with a new force commander recently appointed. Its primary role is protecting merchant vessels in the region with the mission reporting over 300 protection operations in its nine months of operations. It is also building strategic alliances and cooperation. The Italian destroyer Caio Duilio recently joined the operation replacing her sister ship Andrea Doria. Greek and French warships have also been highlighted during the recent protection operations.