European Union governments are still short of the warships needed to escort merchant traffic through the Red Sea. Italy said on October 2 that it will add ships to the Aspides mission only if the rest of Europe matches that effort. Most of Ethiopia’s seaborne cargo and fuel still comes through Djibouti.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters around the late September Foreign Affairs Council that Aspides needs more naval units. She said the need was greater than ever as merchant vessels ask for escorts in growing numbers. Euractiv reported that only two countries had hinted at fresh contributions, with Belgium considering a frigate. Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz said the Netherlands would look favourably at the request but could not make a firm commitment because resources are tight. Euractiv reported that the Dutch frigate Evertsen had already left for the Middle East. Kallas stressed quality as well as numbers, saying Aspides lacks a mine-hunting mandate and needs frigates with air defence that can escort commercial ships.
In an interview with The National, published on October 2 and updated on October 3, Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Italy believed in Aspides from the start. He said Rome has kept a ship on station and is willing to raise its contribution when other Europeans show the same willingness. “As of today, it is us, the Greeks and sometimes France,” Crosetto told The National. The National reported that diplomats put the current Aspides fleet at about six warships, while Kallas has said the mission needs more than 10. Crosetto said the extra ships must be modern, with the technology and speed the job requires. He said Europe should not send 40-year-old vessels that lack air defence and escort gear.
Crosetto told The National that about 40 percent of Italy’s international trade passes through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. He said Italy had already sent radars, anti-missile batteries and other assets to Saudi Arabia to help defend against Iranian and later Houthi attacks. He urged Europe to play a larger role around both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb, The National reported. France replied that it already has assets in the Aspides operation, Euractiv reported. Spain said it supports Aspides but for now stays committed to the separate Atalanta mission, Euractiv reported.
Lloyd’s List Intelligence’s Red Sea Brief dated October 1 recorded 290 preliminary Bab el-Mandeb transits for September 21 to 27, up from 264 the week before. The same brief said commercial vessels are effectively queuing for Aspides escorts because the mission lacks enough warships to meet demand. World Ports, summarising European Union remarks, reported merchant ships waiting for frigates through Bab el-Mandeb while Kallas pressed capitals for more capable units.
The tanker association INTERTANKO said in an October 2 update, carried by World Ports on October 3, that Red Sea shipping remained calm that week. The Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu still took multiple attacks on Thursday, INTERTANKO said. Ships in the harbour and at anchor were undamaged, while first reports pointed to extensive damage ashore, the association said. INTERTANKO said the impact on loading rates at Yanbu was still unknown after those attacks. The Houthis continued to advance on land while again saying shipping is not a target at this time, INTERTANKO added. Splash247 and Clearwater Dynamics reported an unidentified projectile strike inside Yanbu that sparked a fire and briefly halted loading before operations resumed.
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