The European Union’s foreign policy chief has said securing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran war ends will require more ships, including additional vessels from Europe, and the expansion of an existing EU naval mission.

The EU mission in the Red Sea — dubbed Aspides, from the Greek for “shield” — comprises three vessels that protect shipping from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas used to pass before the war, lies at the southern end of the Red Sea.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, after a meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers, that the operational plans for Aspides may need to be amended, depending on additional requirements such as specialised vessels to clear mines from the strait.