The EU's diplomatic service has proposed that the bloc's Aspides naval mission take “the primary role” in clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz “when conditions allow”, as Europe’s contribution to a Franco-British-led initiative.
In a note dated May 26, the European External Action Service wrote that “the situation requires the union to provide a meaningful contribution” to an ad hoc coalition led by France and the UK “to be materialised once conditions allow and separated from the belligerents”.
“It is proposed that, when conditions allow, Aspides be tasked with undertaking the primary role in mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz as the EU’s contribution to the FR-UK ad hoc coalition’s efforts,” it wrote in the note, which was circulated to EU countries.
Speaking last month, EU foreign affairs minister Kaja Kallas said expanding Aspides' activities to the strait would require only a change of operational plan. “Closure of the world's most important shipping lane is untenable,” she said.
But changing the Aspides mandate would require unanimity and it remains unclear if the EU’s 27 members would back such a change.
French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux declined to comment. “I'm not making any assumptions about the future,” he said. “For now, the two missions are strictly separate.”
Based in Greece, Aspides began in February 2024 to defend commercial shipping from Houthi attacks. EU nations most involved in sending frigates to Aspides are Greece, Italy, and France. France last month sent its aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the Red Sea.
The UK and France in April launched an international coalition of more than 40 countries to help secure the strait when security conditions allow. The mission would operate on a strictly defensive basis.
Britain has also positioned itself as a potential contributor to demining the strait. On Monday, its Royal Navy said it had tested a new mine disposal system and that it was ready to be used in Hormuz.
Yvette Cooper, the UK Foreign secretary, said the countries had “discussed the initiative many times with the US” and made clear it was an offer of a supportive role to vessels in the key global shipping lane, which accounted for a fifth of global oil exports as recently as February.
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, questioned the need for naval escorts “if no one’s shooting” on Tuesday.
“They’ve put together this initiative, [under] which they say they will send mine sweepers and escort ships, but they will do so once hostilities are ended, kind of a Catch-22,” he told Congress.
Asked whether that was a fair characterisation, Ms Cooper said the architects “want it not to be needed, but we are preparing and ensuring that we have the maritime capability ready”.
“What we want is to have a ceasefire in place, to have all the mines removed by Iran, and also to have safe passage and international shipping get back to normal.
“But the reason for drawing together the maritime mission, which we’ve discussed many times with the US and also with 50 countries across the world, is to ensure we have additional demining capability wherever it might be needed, and also to have the support there to be able to provide escorts for shipping, or reassurance for shipping if it is needed.
“The most important thing is to get that international agreement in place so that international shipping can return to normal.”
