Europe Von der Leyen: Closer naval coordination in the Middle East
In view of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed extending the military mission to secure commercial shipping in the Middle East. Following a meeting of EU leaders with the presidents of Egypt, Lebanon and Syria as well as Jordan's crown prince, the politician said that "consideration could be given to expanding the scope of missions such as Operation Aspides and developing them from pure protection to sophisticated joint maritime coordination".
24.04.2026, 21:49
SDA
She suggested "going beyond reactive crisis management". Von der Leyen also called for the establishment of structural cooperation to increase arms production. The heads of state and government of the European Union had exchanged views at an informal meeting in Cyprus.
The EU operation "Aspides" was launched in 2024 to protect merchant shipping through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. To date, it has primarily been intended to protect merchant ships from attacks by the Houthi militia from Yemen. Germany is participating in the mission, but does not currently have a ship on site.
