Germany deploys minehunter to Mediterranean in readiness for Hormuz mission

A German Navy vessel has departed for the Mediterranean to stand ready for a potential mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

The minehunter Fulda left its home port of Kiel on Monday.

Should the war with Iran end definitively, the ship could be deployed to the strait at the entrance to the Persian Gulf on very short notice to clear mines that may have been laid by Iran.

The operation would take place as part of a mission led by France and the United Kingdom.

Military planning for an operation in the Strait of Hormuz has been under way since mid-March within a framework spearheaded by France and the UK.

The objective is to restore maritime traffic through the strait once a permanent and credible cessation of hostilities has been achieved.

To that end, the plan envisages clearing mines that Iran is thought to have placed in parts of the sea lane.

In addition, warships would escort tankers and container vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

This is regarded as useful for ensuring security in the region, bolstering the confidence of crews and shipowners, and encouraging maritime insurers to lower their premiums.

Germany shifts its stance

After initially keeping its distance from the plans, Germany, in the person of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, pledged on 17 April to take part in a possible mission.

Merz said Berlin was ready not only to support “ongoing efforts toward a swift diplomatic rapprochement” between the US and Iran but also to make “a German contribution” to securing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, this would only be possible “after the cessation of hostilities,” as set out in the Franco-British plans.

The German leader also stressed that the undertaking would require a “sound legal basis,” such as a United Nations Security Council resolution, and argued that a “workable military concept” would be essential.

In contrast to France in particular, the Chancellor underlined that he considered it “desirable” for the US, as one of the warring parties, to be involved in the mission.

Merz specifically raised the possibility that the German Navy could participate in “mine clearance” and “maritime reconnaissance” activities.

Mine clearance is one of the operational fields in which the German Navy possesses capabilities that are also in demand internationally.

First concrete steps: German ship heads for the Mediterranean

The Federal Ministry of Defence has since taken the first concrete measures. Yesterday (4 May), the minehunter Fulda departed the naval base at Kiel and set course for the Mediterranean.

There, it will remain on standby at a safe distance from the war zone in the Persian Gulf so that it can reach the Strait of Hormuz as rapidly as possible if the war comes to a definitive end.

The Fulda is equipped with specialised technology for detecting and neutralising mines. This includes the SeaCat underwater drone, which, according to the Navy, is “fitted with state-of-the-art sonar equipment for locating and identifying underwater targets.”

Among the 40 naval personnel sailing for the Mediterranean aboard the Fulda are several specialist mine-clearance divers, who can be deployed at any moment.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the vessel Mosel, currently operating in the Aegean Sea as part of NATO refugee interdiction efforts, is to be withdrawn from that mission within days and, if necessary, placed on standby to sail to the Strait of Hormuz as an escort vessel for the Fulda.

The Mosel could be tasked as a supply ship to provide provisions, fuel or munitions.

Maritime industry keeps its distance from Trump’s mission

As the minehunter Fulda left Kiel yesterday to make for the Mediterranean, the Trump administration’s attempt to open the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping by military means led, as anticipated, to a renewed escalation of tensions in the Persian Gulf.

US President Donald Trump had claimed that the United States would begin “escorting” merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz from Monday.

Details remained largely unclear. Iran announced it would block the passage of any ships that had not coordinated with Tehran.

The overwhelming response from the maritime industry was that operators were not prepared to endanger the lives of crew members and would therefore not take part in Trump’s initiative.

The shipping company Hapag-Lloyd, for example, stated that the Strait of Hormuz would remain “closed” to its vessels.

A spokesman for the International Chamber of Shipping said that workable plans needed to be implemented in a “coordinated and transparent” manner and that the US measure did not meet those requirements.

The Baltic and International Maritime Council stated that safe passage would be possible only if an agreement were reached with Iran.

Only the Danish shipping company Maersk indicated it was prepared to allow one of its US-flagged vessels to make an escorted passage through the strait.

In remarks on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said the only way forward was for the Trump administration to end the blockade it has imposed on Iranian ports and to coordinate with Tehran on the rapid reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

“We are hoping for a coordinated reopening between Iran and the US,” Macron said.