As the war in Iran rises to the top of the bloc’s agenda due to rising energy and fertilizer prices, the European Union is considering two kinds of naval missions to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The intentions were made public by EU foreign policy leader Kaja Kallas ahead of Monday’s meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers in Brussels.
“We are also discussing what we can do in this regard from the European side because it is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open,” Kallas stated.
According to Naija News on Saturday, US President Donald Trump urged nations including China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to deploy warships to assist US soldiers in securing the strait.
Kallas reportedly stated that the EU may extend its Aspides naval operation, which presently guards ships in the Red Sea, into the Persian Gulf.
As an alternative, the bloc might establish a “coalition of the willing,” with member countries providing military capability on an as-needed basis.
According to Kallas, the war in Iran is now at the top of the foreign ministers’ agenda due to rising petroleum and fertilizer costs.
One of the most important oil shipping lanes in the world is the Strait of Hormuz. An international energy crisis has resulted from Iran’s effective blocking of oil flow through the waterway.
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, denied reports of a complete blockage on Saturday, saying Tehran has merely stopped the passage to ships having connections to Israel and the United States.
The EU’s consideration of naval deployments comes after the UK and France made similar declarations last week endorsing global efforts to safeguard the critical waterway, both of which emphasized the necessity of meticulous planning before to deployment.
