Dangerous mission: Germany could send minehunting boats to secure Strait of Hormuz

Published on 16/04/2026 - 18:22 GMT+2

Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to contiguous a factual connection for German information successful a imaginable subject ngo to unafraid the Strait of Hormuz astatine talks successful Paris connected Friday.

According to the proposal, the Bundeswehr is to supply minehunting boats, an escort vessel and reconnaissance craft aft the extremity of hostilities, connected the information that definite conditions are met.

The ngo would specifically see excavation clearance and maritime reconnaissance, arsenic good arsenic long-range surveillance of the oversea area, according to sources astatine the German Press Agency (dpa).

The Bundeswehr presently has 8 minehunting boats and 2 mine-diving boats but however galore of these could beryllium deployed is not wide yet. The minehunting boats, which are much than 50 metres long, are usually manned by a unit of 42 soldiers, who tin beryllium reinforced by excavation divers if necessary.

Merz is travelling to Paris connected Friday for an planetary gathering hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is besides expected to attend. Other imaginable supporters of a ngo to unafraid the Strait of Hormuz are to beryllium connected via video link.

Strict conditions

Following a gathering with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin successful Berlin, Merz made it wide that a imaginable ngo would beryllium taxable to strict conditions.

Merz added immoderate German information successful a ngo to unafraid the strait could hap lone aft "at the precise slightest a provisional ceasefire" arsenic good arsenic support by the authorities successful Berlin and parliament.

"We are inactive a agelong mode from that," helium said.

According to a study successful the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper, the navy could besides usage its logistics basal successful Djibouti for maritime reconnaissance missions.

The basal successful eastbound Africa is considered to beryllium successful a strategically favourable determination for missions successful the region.

In addition, it is being considered to relieve NATO partners successful the North Atlantic successful bid to escaped up their forces for a imaginable ngo successful the Strait of Hormuz.

Traffic done the waterway, done which a 5th of the world's crude lipid and liquefied earthy state supplies transited earlier the war, has been astir wholly blocked since the Iran warfare started with US-Israeli aerial strikes connected 28 February.

That has sent vigor prices spiking astir the world, with the International Energy Agency main informing connected Thursday that Europe lone has "maybe six weeks oregon truthful of pitchy substance left," if supplies stay blocked.