EU's Kallas says Red Sea mission would need boost in warship

The European Union's naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea would need to boost its numbers to more than 10 warships, its foreign policy chief said on Monday, adding that for now there were not that many in the area.



The EU's Aspides mission was launched in 2024 to protect shipping from attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, and diplomats have said there are currently six warships operating.



The situation, I think, is even more grave right now," Kaja Kallas told reporters on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations.

The Houthis have made rapid advances in recent weeks along the Red Sea coast, further complicating routes in a region that also includes the Strait of Hormuz, where traffic had already dwindled because of the US-Iran war.



Italy, one of the key countries in the Aspides mission, announced on Thursday it was preparing a naval mission in the area for its own ships, saying it could not wait for the EU to respond to the new crisis.