EU's Kallas says Red Sea mission needs more than 10 warships

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 European Union's naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea would need to increase its fleet to more than 10 warships, its foreign policy chief said on Monday, adding that there were not many in the area at the moment.

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.

"When Aspides was put in place, then the indication was that it needs at least 10 ships. 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.

Houthis have made rapid advances in recent weeks along the Red Sea coast

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.

Kallas said the Houthi attacks were affecting European interests and impacting the global economy.

"The EU operation Aspides is making a crucial contribution to security in the region and global shipping, but the operation needs more naval assets and more air assets to address the increased level of threats in the region," she said.

Kallas sent a letter to the EU's 27 member states on September 19 asking them to up their contributions. The issue would be discussed at upcoming defense and foreign ministers' meetings, she said in the letter.

"This situation, which is still evolving as we speak, is already affecting European interests with repercussions on our supply chains and could have implications for our ability to support our economies, which were already hit by rising fuel prices," she said in the letter.

"For the moment, although the Houthis communicate that they would only target Saudi-linked interests, there is uncertainty over their course of action with respect to vessels that transit through the Strait. Regardless, they are now in a better position to potentially harm maritime shipping."