The European Union is mulling over expanding the mandate of its Red Sea naval operation as the Iran-backed Houthis are reported to be preparing to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait at Tehran's behest, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Euronews during a visit to the mission's vessels and headquarters in Djibouti.
"If one vital trade route is closed, then we need the other one to be clearly open," Kallas said aboard one of the EU's patrol vessels. "We are discussing also whether we can change the mandate to include minesweeping."
