Germany sends two warships toward Red Sea for possible Strait of Hormuz mission

WASHINGTON, United States — BERLIN — Germany has dispatched two navy vessels toward the Red Sea for a possible military mission in the Strait of Hormuz, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said. Speaking to reporters on arrival at a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Pistorius said the minesweeper Fuldave and the auxiliary vessel Mosel were transiting the Suez Canal toward the Red Sea. The minister said any German participation in mine-clearing operations in the strait would require approval from Iran and Oman, and would also depend on the outcome of ongoing talks between Tehran and Washington. The Strait of Hormuz is scheduled to reopen to maritime traffic on Friday under a broader agreement signed by U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The deal envisages the reopening of the waterway and the easing of sanctions on Iran. Pistorius did not announce a timeline for the German deployment or confirm whether Berlin would ultimately join any mine-clearing effort in the strait.