European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas urged member states to deploy additional naval vessels to help secure commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
European Union countries have been patrolling the Red Sea since 2024 as part of Operation Aspides, amid the growing threat from Yemen's Houthi group disrupting shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
"This operation requires more naval and air assets to address the increasing threat level in the region," Kallas told reporters in New York after a meeting of EU foreign ministers held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"The Black Sea, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb are three crucial shipping lanes whose impacts, if disrupted, would extend far beyond the region," he said.
According to Bloomberg, the operation currently relies primarily on three ships from Italy and Greece, with occasional support from other EU member states.
However, so far EU countries have shown little interest in increasing the number of ships involved or changing the mission's objectives.
"When Aspides was first formed, indications were that this operation would require at least 10 ships. I think the current situation is even more dire," Kallas said.
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