Font Size:
The German Ministry of Defense announced the readiness of the Fulda minesweeper to deploy in the Mediterranean Sea, in preparation for a possible participation in securing the Strait of Hormuz. The ship awaits a cessation of hostilities and parliamentary approval to begin its mission.
On Saturday, the German Defense Ministry unveiled plans to deploy the naval minesweeper Fulda in the Mediterranean in the coming days, as NATO prepares for a possible international mission in the Strait of Hormuz. A ministry spokeswoman explained that this deployment aims to make a "significant and prominent contribution to an international coalition aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," stressing that the ship is still docked in the port of Kiel to complete logistical preparations. This move comes in the wake of the announcement by several countries not involved in the conflict, in mid-April, of their readiness to carry out a 'neutral' mission to secure the strategic strait, especially after Washington announced last week the start of demining operations with Tehran. The German ship has a crew of between 40 and 50 people, and it is expected that its positioning on average will allow it to 'gain valuable time' to quickly take advantage of the Operational capabilities when needed. However, the German statement stipulated three basic conditions for the activation of the mission: a 'permanent cessation of hostilities', a 'foundation of international law', as well as a 'mandate from the Bundestag' (German Parliament). German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius believes that the international legal basis may be achieved by expanding Aspedes' European mission to protect navigation in The Red Sea, which was launched in February 2024 to counter the attacks of the Iranian-backed Yemeni Houthis, considered this option 'appropriate and possible'.
Source: Al-Wehda Al-Arabia News Portal
