The EU has long had a naval operation, called Aspides, to protect shipping in the Red Sea. Expanding it to include the Strait of Hormuz was discussed on Monday by member states' foreign ministers - without consensus.
There is no appetite to change the mandate for Aspides right now, Foreign Minister Kallas notes afterwards.
She nevertheless emphasizes how important traffic through the strait is, not only for the EU, but also for the rest of the world.
20 percent of the world's energy - oil and gas - goes through the Strait of Hormuz. Fertilizer goes through the Strait. It affects Asia but also Africa. If we don't get fertilizer through this year, we will starve next year, says Kallas in Brussels.
