Minehunter to be relocated to Mediterranean
The German navy’s “Fulda” minehunter is to set sail for the Mediterranean. Defence Minister Pistorius wants to be prepared when it comes to securing the Strait of Hormuz.
Berlin (dpa) - The “Fulda”, a German navy minehunter, is to be relocated together with its crew to the Mediterranean in the next few days. “This will position the vessel in readiness for a possible Bundeswehr involvement in a multinational operation to secure the Strait of Hormuz,” reported a defence ministry spokeswoman. She said this step would save time and allow the “Fulda’s” capabilities to be deployed quickly once the conditions set by the Federal Government had been met.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius had stressed that a prerequisite for any deployment, first and foremost, was an end to the hostilities in the US and Israeli war with Iran. He also reiterated that any such deployment would only be possible with a Bundestag mandate. In a reference to the legal basis, Pistorius said that expanding the EU mandate for the “Aspides” naval mission in the Red Sea was an “appropriate and conceivable option”. “A UNmandate would certainly be better but is not likely at the moment.”
The Strait of Hormuz is currently blocked as a result of the Iran war. This strait between Iran and Oman is a vital shipping route, especially for oil. Consequently, the blockade is putting a strain on the global economy.
