Kallas Urges EU to Bolster Red Sea Mission Against Houthi Threat

By Andrea Palasciano

Sep 22, 2026 (Bloomberg) –The European Union’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, called for member states to send more naval vessels to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

EU countries, under the aegis of Operation Aspides, have been patrolling the Red Sea since 2024 as increasing threats by the Houthis plague shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

“The operation needs more naval assets and more air assets to address the increased level of threats in the region,” Kallas told reporters in New York after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. “The Black Sea, the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb are three critical maritime choke points whose disruption spreads far beyond the region.”

The mission consists primarily of three ships from Italy and Greece, with occasional back up from other member states. EU members have so far shown no willingness to increase the number of vessels deployed or to adapt the mission’s goals. 

“When Aspides was put in place, the indication was that it needs at least 10 ships,” Kallas said. “The situation, I think, is even more grave right now.”

Read More: UK to Give Saudi Arabia Defensive Support to Counter Houthis

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

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