JAKARTA - The head of the European Union's Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas said on Tuesday, the bloc could expand its naval mission in the Red Sea to include the Strait of Hormuz, after the Iran war ended.
"Operation Aspides has already made an important contribution to protecting shipping in the Red Sea, but its activities can also be expanded to the strait," Kallas said after a meeting of EU defense ministers, launching Al Arabiya from AFP (13/5).
Kallas further said that several countries have promised to donate more ships for the mission and it could help if a decision to expand its scope is taken.
Battered by Trump's war on Iran and the global economic impact, Europe has sought to play a role in getting shipping back on its feet once the conflict is over.
France and Britain have been leading talks on a potential naval effort in the region, with defense ministers from four dozen countries holding a new round of discussions on Tuesday.
Previously, the EU defense ministers in March initially rejected a proposal to expand the Red Sea mission.
Negotiations between the United States and Iran to end the war in the Middle East and reopen the vital waterway appear to have stalled.
Iran's blockade of the strait, which normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas, has pushed up global energy prices.
The EU's Aspides mission was launched in 2024 to help protect shipping in the Red Sea, another vital waterway in the Middle East, from Houthi attacks in Yemen.
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