Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Wednesday he was considering recalling two German navy ships deployed to the Red Sea as part of preparations for a possible minesweeping mission in the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu reports.
Pistorius told reporters in Berlin that Iran had firmly rejected a French proposal to cooperate on clearing mines in the strategic waterway and that he sees no realistic prospect of a minesweeping operation anytime soon.
“Logically, this means we will not leave our two ships stationed in Djibouti until autumn, simply hoping that something might eventually happen. We will make a timely decision this summer,” he told reporters. “Ultimately, it is better for our soldiers to spend their summer in Berlin at 40 degrees Celsius rather than in Djibouti at nearly 50 degrees,” he added.
Last month, Germany dispatched the minesweeper Fulda and the supply ship Mosel from the eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea as part of preparations for a potential mine-clearing operation in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels transited the Suez Canal in mid-June and are currently anchored in Djibouti, where they are being resupplied.
