From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 16, 2026
EU has ‘no appetite’ to expand Mideast naval mission to Strait of Hormuz, Kallas says
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European Union foreign ministers showed “no appetite” to expand an EU naval mission in the Middle East to the Strait of Hormuz for the time being, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says.
US President Donald Trump has called on other nations to help police the strait after Iran responded to US-Israeli attacks by using drones, missiles and mines to effectively close the channel for tankers that normally transport a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.
The EU’s Aspides mission — named after the Greek word for “shields” — was established in 2024 to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebel group in the Red Sea.
“There was in our discussions a clear wish to strengthen this operation, but for the time being, there was no appetite in changing the mandate of the operation,” Kallas tells reporters after a meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
The Times of Israel Community.