The European Union’s naval mission in the Red Sea, Aspides, has been assessed as needing more than ten warships in order to provide a robust response to the growing number of Houthi attacks, according to Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief. At present, the operation fields only six vessels, a force that was assembled after the mission was launched in 2024 with the explicit purpose of shielding commercial shipping lanes from hostile strikes emanating from the Yemeni coast.
Kallas highlighted the accelerating danger during a press briefing held at the United Nations General Assembly, stressing that the situation demands immediate attention from the international community.
The Houthis have broadened their operational footprint along the Red Sea coastline, a development that has made navigation for merchant ships more complicated and risky. Their recent advances are part of a wider pattern of regional instability that has already led to a noticeable decline in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a trend that is partly linked to heightened tensions between the United States and Iran.
Italy, identified as a key participant in the Aspides effort, announced that it intends to launch its own naval deployment in the same waters. The decision reflects mounting frustration with the pace of the EU’s collective response, and Italy’s defence ministry made clear that waiting for a broader EU consensus was no longer a viable option for protecting its maritime interests.
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Kallas warned that the ongoing Houthi attacks are disrupting European trade flows as well as global supply chains, creating a ripple effect that reaches markets far beyond the immediate theatre of conflict. Fuel prices, which are already under pressure, could climb even higher if the pattern of assaults continues unchecked. In a letter addressed to EU member states on September 19, she called for increased contributions that would strengthen both naval and aerial components of the mission.
While the Houthis maintain that they are targeting only vessels linked to Saudi Arabia, Kaja Kallas noted that their enhanced capabilities now enable them to threaten a much broader spectrum of maritime traffic. The group’s evolving posture and its increasingly solid regional standing have amplified the hazards faced by commercial shipping operators working through the Red Sea corridor.
Defense and foreign ministers are scheduled to examine the matter in forthcoming meetings, and the foreign policy chief stressed the urgency of taking decisive steps without delay. The overall success of the Aspides operation depends on continuous backing from participating member states, because any postponement in delivering additional resources could leave essential shipping lanes exposed to further aggression.
