EU to discuss bolstering Mideast naval mission

European Union foreign ministers will discuss on Monday bolstering a small naval mission in the Middle East but are not expected to decide on extending its role to the choked-off Strait of Hormuz.



The EU’s Aspides mission was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.



It currently has an Italian and a Greek ship under its direct command and can also call upon a French ship and another Italian vessel for support.



With the Strait of Hormuz largely shut off since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, some European officials have pondered whether the EU mission could be part of an effort to restore freedom of navigation in the Gulf.



Iran's ability to choke off traffic through the strait, the conduit for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, has emerged as a major threat to the global economy.



But EU officials and diplomats said ministers’ discussions in Brussels would likely focus on a push by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to add more ships to the mission.