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EU Supports Strengthening 'Aspides' Mission, Rejects Sending Ships to Strait of Hormuz

Published March 16, 2026, 20:15
EU Supports Strengthening 'Aspides' Mission, Rejects Sending Ships to Strait of Hormuz

European Union Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their current reluctance to deploy warships to the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, there is a clear desire to strengthen the European naval operation 'Aspides' in the Red Sea, aiming to protect commercial shipping. Discussions are in their early stages, and member states appear unwilling to become involved in a military conflict, considering it 'not Europe's war'. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, emphasized the EU's focus on diplomatic initiatives to de-escalate tensions in the region, while also considering strengthening the 'Aspides' mission with additional naval assets.