DW - European Union foreign ministers are set to discuss on Monday bolstering a small naval mission in the Middle East, though it is unlikely that they will extend its role to the blocked Strait of Hormuz.
The bloc's mission, Aspides, was set up in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
Currently, the mission has an Italian and a Greek ship under its direct command, with the ability to call upon support from an extra Italian vessel as well as a French ship.
"The conversation on Monday will be about trying to have more member states contribute further capacities," Reuters quoted an unnamed senior EU official as saying.
US President Donald Trump has been calling on a number of countries he says are the most affected by Iran's blocking of the Strait of Hormuz, critical for the transfer of oil, to help unblock it. However, his calls, though increasingly aggressive, have thus far yielded little results.
"Protecting ships in the Strait of Hormuz in the current situation is a decision that won’t be taken lightly by ministers," Reuters quoted an EU diplomat as saying.
