Germany readies minesweeper for post-war Strait of Hormuz mission
Berlin says the Fulda will head to the Mediterranean in the coming days as countries weigh a neutral mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz.
- Germany is preparing to deploy its navy minesweeper, the Fulda, for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz.
- The deployment is planned as a contribution to an international coalition aimed at securing freedom of navigation in the waterway.
- The mission will only take place after the US-Iran war has ended and hostilities have ceased.
- Final deployment into the Strait requires approval from the Lower House of the German Parliament.
Germany is preparing to deploy the navy minesweeper Fulda to the Mediterranean within days, keeping it available for a possible operation in the Strait of Hormuz once the US-Iran war is over, a Defence Ministry spokeswoman said on April 25.
The plan follows signals from several countries that they are prepared to join a “neutral” mission aimed at securing the waterway.
The US said last week it was in the process of de-mining the Strait of Hormuz together with Tehran, although Iran has not confirmed this.
The spokeswoman said the Fulda would be sent “in the coming days”. She said Germany wanted to make a “significant and visible contribution to an international coalition seeking to protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
Minesweepers are vessels designed to locate and detonate naval mines.
The Fulda is expected to operate with a crew of about 45.
However, any deployment inside the Strait would take place only after “a lasting end in hostilities” and after approval from the Lower House of the German Parliament.
The war in Iran began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched air strikes.
Iran’s army responded by effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz, a route normally used for about a fifth of global oil shipments.
The closure pushed energy prices higher.
Possible talks on ending the war could take place this weekend in Pakistan, with both the US and Iran sending envoys to Islamabad.
The Straits Times
