Call for active participation in Operation ‘Aspides’ amid expansion of Houthi rebel forces
EU diplomat calls for increased military assets to protect Red Sea merchant ships
Quick Look
Kaya Callas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, called for more military assets to be deployed to the Red Sea merchant shipping protection mission 'Aspides' to counter the threat from Yemen's Houthi rebels at a meeting of EU foreign ministers held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The EU has been dispatching naval ships on the 'Aspides' mission since 2024 to respond to the threat of Houthi rebels.
Call for active participation in Operation ‘Aspides’ amid expansion of Houthi rebel forces
(Brussels = Yonhap News) Correspondent Hyun Yun-kyung = The European Union (EU) diplomatic chief urged member states to increase their contribution to the EU's mission in the Red Sea.
According to Reuters, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Kaya Callas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York on the 22nd (local time) that more military assets should be invested in the EU's 'Aspides' mission to protect merchant ships traveling in and out of the Red Sea from the threat of Houthis, pro-Iran rebels in Yemen.
The EU has been dispatching member countries' naval vessels under the name 'Aspides' to the Red Sea since 2024, as shipping operations were disrupted due to threats from Houthi rebels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Representative Callas said that more than 10 warships are needed to properly carry out the mission of protecting maritime transportation routes, but that there are not that many warships currently deployed in the area, and appealed, "As the threat level in this area has increased, more naval and air power is needed." According to EU diplomats, six warships, including Italian and Greek naval vessels, are currently involved in Operation Aspides.
Representative Callas also requested expanded contributions to Operation Aspides in a letter sent to the 27 EU member states on the 19th and said that this issue would be discussed at a future meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers.
The Houthi rebels have been rapidly gaining ground along the Red Sea coast in recent weeks, which has taken a direct toll on the EU, making maritime shipping routes in the Middle East more complex, including in the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping traffic has already fallen significantly due to the war with Iran, and causing oil prices in Europe to soar.
Representative Callas warned that “chaos occurring in key maritime chokepoints such as the Black Sea, Strait of Hormuz, and Strait of Bab el-Mandeb will have a far-reaching ripple effect beyond the region,” and urged member countries to actively contribute to Operation Aspides.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Plans to expand contribution to Operation Aspides will be discussed at future EU foreign and defense ministers meetings
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will EU member states actually send additional warships and air forces to Operation Aspides?
- When will stability in the Red Sea shipping lanes be restored?
