Germany deploys minesweeper to Red Sea as defence minister says Berlin is ready for a potential Strait of Hormuz mission.
BRUSSELS: A German minesweeper is passing through the Suez Canal on its way to the Red Sea ahead of a possible deployment in the Strait of Hormuz, German Press Agency (dpa) reported, citing Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Thursday.
Speaking in Brussels ahead of a meeting with his NATO counterparts, Pistorius confirmed that two German Navy ships – the minesweeper Fulda and a supply vessel, the Mosel – are travelling towards the Strait of Hormuz.
The two ships were previously deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in anticipation of a peace deal between the United States (US) and Iran, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz having promised that Germany will take part in a mission to secure the crucial waterway once the fighting has stopped.
A German deployment in a new mission to secure the strait would require parliamentary approval, with Merz saying at the Group of Seven (G7) summit this week that he hopes a vote could take place before the summer break begins on July 10.
However, Pistorius said no authorisation was necessary to send the ships towards the region as the voyage is covered by the mandate for Germany’s participation in Operation Aspides of the European Union (EU), which helps to secure shipping in the Red Sea against the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.
“We want to be ready to act quickly and, above all, to be in the Strait of Hormuz swiftly,” Pistorius said.
The Navy vessels are to be accompanied by autonomous systems, mine divers, and security forces for a potential deployment.
