Key facts
- Germany will not commit to a mission securing the Strait of Hormuz until the U.S.-Iran peace agreement details are public.
- Germany and Poland suggested adapting the EU's Aspides mission mandate 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.
- Middle Eastern producers shut in over 10 million barrels per day of oil production due to the Strait of Hormuz closure.
- Full restoration of oil and gas shipments could take months, potentially up to a year.
Germany has stated that it will not commit to participating in a mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz until the details of the impending U.S.-Iran peace agreement are publicly released and understood. Germany and Poland have suggested adapting the European Union's existing Aspides mission mandate, currently focused on threats in the Red Sea, as a legal basis for operations in the Persian Gulf. Germany is expected to contribute minesweepers, but the government insists on a clear legal foundation. 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.
Germany is deploying two ships, the minesweeper Fulda and the supply ship Mosel, to the Red Sea, with their transit through the Suez Canal underway. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius noted that approval would be needed from Iran and Oman before any participation in a minesweeping operation, with the mission depending on further developments between Tehran and Washington.
The announcement of a U.S.-Iran deal and the potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz does not guarantee a swift return of oil and gas trade to previous levels. Middle Eastern producers have had to shut in over 10 million barrels per day of oil production since the Strait's closure. Experts suggest it could take months, or even up to a year, for production to fully ramp up to prior output levels.