European Union Not Ready to Deploy Ships to Guarantee Hormuz Strait Security

JAKARTA - The head of foreign policy of the European Union, Kaja Kallas, stated that the European Union countries are not ready to deploy ships to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a press conference after meeting with EU foreign ministers, Kallas said the US-Israeli war with Iran was not a European war.

"In the situation in the region, we have an ASPIDES operation in the Red Sea. The discussion is that the operation needs to be strengthened because it does not have many naval assets. It should be added," Kallas said at a press conference after the meeting of EU foreign ministers, reported by ANTARA from Sputnik, Tuesday, March 17.

"However, the decision on whether this mandate will be expanded to include the Strait of Hormuz north of the Muscat line, did not receive support from member countries. No one wants to be actively involved in this war, and all parties are concerned about how the outcome will be," Kallas said.

Meanwhile, since last weekend, US President Donald Trump, Saturday (14/3), called on oil-importing countries, whose shipments are carried out through the Strait of Hormuz, to ensure the safety of the route by promising assistance and coordination from the US.

"The countries of the world that get oil through the Strait of Hormuz must guard the passage and we will help, a lot!" Trump said on the social media Truth Social.

He also promised that Washington would coordinate with these countries so that everything would go quickly, smoothly, and well.