BRUSSELS: European Union is to reinforce its naval mission in the Gulf region, said EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas, after several maritime attacks were reported in the Gulf of Oman.
“Our naval mission, Aspides, has seen a sharp rise in protection requests, and we will reinforce it with additional ships to bolster maritime security in the region,” Kallas said on Sunday after a video conference of EU foreign ministers.
“Iran’s proxies must stay out of the fight. Threats against shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are reckless and must cease,” she said, reported German news agency dpa.
“The whole Middle East stands to lose from a prolonged war.”
The mission, set up in 2024 after Iran-backed Houthis targeted several vessels, operates in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
The aim of the military operation is to contribute “to the protection of freedom of navigation, to safeguarding maritime security, especially for merchant and commercial vessels,” according to its website.
The Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman is considered one of the world’s most important oil trade routes. Around a fifth of global oil transports pass through the Hormuz Strait. -BERNAMA-dpa
