" Coming from a president who only two months ago was making strident claims to Greenland, the sovereign territory of a fellow Nato member, there's more than a little irony in his latest remarks. Gen Carter said the last time western nations carried out a major de-mining operation at sea was in 1991, after Iraq mined the waters off Kuwait to prevent an amphibious landing in the first Gulf War. EU foreign ministers are meeting on Monday, with a proposal to extend an existing EU naval mission in the Red Sea on the table. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says changing the mandate of Operation Aspides would be the "fastest" for the EU to improve security in the Gulf. The operation was launched in 2024 to help meet the threats to shipping posed by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Sir Keir Starmer said the solution needed to involve "as many partners as possible", but said British military personnel needed important reassurances before being deployed on a potentially dangerous mission.