EU's Top Diplomat Calls for Bigger Naval Force in the Red Sea
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has called for a substantial increase in the European commitment to maritime security patrols in the Red Sea. After recent aggression by Yemen's Houthi rebel faction, she suggested, it is time for a 10-warship EU mission in the region.
In a letter released over the weekend, Kallas called for EU member states to increase their contributions to the Operation Aspides security mission. The Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and tanker traffic have contributed to the global rise in energy prices, with effects on the European economy and EU shipping interests. Even though the Houthis have repeatedly claimed that they will only attack Saudi vessels, they have hit Western-linked shipping many times in years past - and they have an inconsistent record when it comes to targeting, occasionally striking vessels linked to their own allies.
On Monday, Kallas told Reuters that Operation Aspides - the EUNAVFOR security force in the Red Sea - needs "more naval and more air assets to address the increased level of threats in the region." She noted that the original plan for Aspides when it was created in 2024 called for a 10-ship force; it is currently operating with six warships, and the Houthis are now better-positioned than ever to threaten shipping.
"The situation, I think, is even more grave now," she told Reuters.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
Kallas' call for more EU involvement complements the messaging from IMO, where Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez has recently appealed to member states to make stronger diplomatic efforts to protect the safety of seafarers.
"It falls to you and your capitals, and relevant bodies of the United Nations, to address the root causes [of maritime security risk] and find solutions,” Dominguez said in an address to member state delegates last week.
