EU countries not to send naval mission to Strait of Hormuz

EU members did not see it necessary to expand the mandate of their naval mission Aspides and send ships to the Strait of Hormuz to support navigation through it.

As Report informs, this was stated by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas at a press conference following the Foreign Affairs Council meeting.

According to her, during the meeting, EU foreign ministers discussed options for more effectively protecting navigation in the Persian Gulf region, particularly the Strait of Hormuz, which has been blocked by Iran.

As Kallas said before the start of the Council meeting in the morning, it had been proposed to expand the mandate of the naval operation Aspides and send its ships to support navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

"During our discussions, there was a clear desire to strengthen this operation. However, at this point, there is no desire to change the mandate of the Aspides operation. In the view of the ministers, despite the Strait of Hormuz being the focus of attention, the Red Sea also remains critically important," Kallas said, noting that the majority of EU representatives do not want to get involved in a war they did not start.