EU Proposes Naval Mission to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Moscow (ANTARA) - The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, on Friday proposed to EU leaders at an informal meeting that the bloc should strengthen its naval mission in the region to help ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open. “All parties are very clear that freedom of navigation is non-negotiable, so the Strait of Hormuz must be opened without any tolls, and we need to make efforts for that,” Kallas said ahead of the second day of the meeting in Cyprus. “And of course, since we have the Aspides and Atalanta operations which are indeed in the region, the fastest way to form this voluntary coalition is by utilising those missions, enhancing and strengthening them with the ships, equipment, and capabilities needed.” On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against targets in Iran, causing damage and civilian casualties. On 7 April, Washington and Tehran announced a two-week ceasefire. Follow-up negotiations in Islamabad ended without results. Although there has been no announcement on when the war between the United States and Iran will resume, the United States has begun imposing a blockade on Iranian ports. On 21 April, President Donald Trump stated that the United States would extend the ceasefire with Iran while continuing the naval blockade against Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.