Chess on the water: the US escorts ships and Germany sends a minesweeper under Iran's nose

The German minesweeper Fulda sailed from the port of Kiel to the Mediterranean Sea on Monday. The ship may be used to secure the Strait of Hormuz if the government in Berlin decides to join such a mission.

The possible use of the unit in the Strait of Hormuz requires the consent of the Bundestag. However, if this is issued, the ship will be stationed closer to the Persian Gulf.

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had already announced the transfer of the unit. As the ministry's spokeswoman explained, the earlier deployment will “save valuable time to quickly use Fulda's trawling capabilities as soon as the conditions set by the federal government are met.”

Chancellor Friedrich Merz declared that in order for the Bundeswehr to participate in the mission in the Strait of Hormuz, in addition to a parliamentary mandate, it also needs a “solid military concept.”

The deployment of Fulda, commissioned in 1998, in the Mediterranean Sea means the ship's withdrawal from operations in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called on his Iranian counterpart Abbas Aragchi to “immediately unblock” the Strait of Hormuz. This key route for global oil trade has been almost completely blocked by Iran since it was attacked by the US and Israel. The blockade has not been lifted despite the ongoing truce.

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that US forces will begin on Monday to help commercial ships safely transit the Strait of Hormuz as part of Operation Project Freedom. Iran threatened on Monday to attack US military units near Hormuz. Iranian media later reported that the US Navy had fired on the US ship. The American command denied these reports.

From Berlin Mateusz Obremski (PAP)

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