A larger and more exposed EU naval presence in the Red Sea points to continued risk around one of the world's key shipping corridors, a factor that has already pushed some vessel traffic toward longer routes around Africa. Kallas's description of a more serious situation than when the operation launched suggests the security backdrop may not ease soon, which could keep shipping costs and insurance premiums elevated for vessels transiting the area. For oil markets specifically, continued disruption risk in the Red Sea corridor adds to the list of geopolitical factors already supporting elevated energy prices, alongside the wider tensions tied to the Iran conflict.---The EU's top diplomat says its Red Sea naval mission is under-resourced just as she describes the security situation there as more serious than when the operation began.Summary:EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said Monday that Operation Aspides, the EU's Red Sea naval mission, needs more than 10 warships.Kallas said there are currently not that many vessels in the region.Speaking to reporters at the UN World Leaders' Meeting, she said the operation was initially indicated to need at least 10 ships, and that the situation is now much more serious.EU diplomats said Kallas sent a letter to member states last week requesting additional naval and air assets for the region.The European Union's top diplomat said Monday that the bloc's naval mission in the Red Sea requires more warships than it currently has, describing a security situation that has worsened since the operation was launched. Kaja Kallas, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, told reporters on the sidelines of the UN World Leaders' Meeting that Operation Aspides, the EU's maritime security mission covering the Red Sea and surrounding waters, needs more than 10 warships, and that the region does not currently have that many vessels deployed.Kallas said that when Aspides was launched, indications at the time suggested at least 10 ships were needed to carry out the mission. She said she believes the situation has since become considerably more serious, without elaborating further on the reporting behind that assessment. Her comments point to a gap between the naval resources originally judged sufficient for the operation and what the EU now considers necessary given how conditions in the region have evolved.EU diplomats said Kallas sent a letter to member states last week asking them to contribute additional naval and air assets to the mission. The request suggests the EU sees the current shortfall as significant enough to require a formal appeal to member states rather than relying on existing contributions. No details were given on which countries have been asked to contribute, what specific assets are sought, or the timeline for any response.The Red Sea has remained a focal point for maritime security concerns, given its role as a key global shipping corridor. Kallas's remarks leave open how quickly member states might respond to the request, and whether additional warships would be enough to address the more serious situation she described. Further detail on troop and vessel commitments from individual EU states would help clarify how the mission's footprint may change in the coming weeks. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.