Key facts
- Germany will not commit to a mission securing the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S.-Iran peace agreement details are public.
- Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul cited the need for clarity on the agreement's 14 points and consent from coastal states, including Iran.
- Germany and Poland suggested adapting the EU's Aspides mission mandate as a legal basis for operations in the Persian Gulf.
- The U.S. and Iran are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding to end their conflict on Friday.
Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stated on Wednesday that Berlin cannot commit to a mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz until the details of the impending U.S.-Iran peace agreement are publicly released and understood. The U.S. and Iran are scheduled to sign a memorandum of understanding to end their conflict on Friday, but the document's provisions remain unclear.
Wadephul emphasized that Germany requires official confirmation of the 14 points put forward by the U.S. and Iran, stating, "The prerequisite for us to be able to draft a mandate is that we have clarity on the actual conditions." He also echoed French President Emmanuel Macron's call for a request for deployment to come not only from the U.S. but also from Iran and Oman, stressing the necessity of consent from coastal states.
Both Wadephul and his Polish counterpart, Radosław Sikorski, suggested that the European Union's existing Aspides mission mandate, currently focused on threats in the Red Sea, could provide a legal basis for operations in the Persian Gulf. Germany is expected to contribute minesweepers, but the government has insisted on a clear legal foundation. Sikorski indicated that adapting the Aspides mandate would be acceptable to Poland once military operations have concluded.
The current Aspides mandate covers the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Oman, but does not extend to the Strait of Hormuz. EU leaders had previously rejected expanding this mandate in March.