Germany has dispatched a minehunter vessel and a support ship through the Suez Canal as part of early positioning for a potential international mine-clearing mission in the Strait of Hormuz, the Defense Ministry said in Berlin.
The minehunter Fulda and support vessel Mosel passed through the canal early Thursday, having previously been deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. Over the next five to seven days, the Bundeswehr task group is expected to transit the Red Sea before stopping in Djibouti, where around 140 German Navy personnel will prepare for a possible mine-clearing operation in the strategic waterway.
Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said in Brussels that the deployment order was issued in anticipation of a possible peace-support mission in Hormuz. He stressed that the operation remains conditional, noting that not all requirements have been met despite a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran aimed at further peace negotiations.
According to the Defense Ministry, key conditions include a sustained end to hostilities, a valid international legal framework, and authorization from Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag. Under German law, any armed overseas deployment of the Bundeswehr requires parliamentary approval.
Mine-clearing is considered one of the German Navy’s core capabilities. “In this respect, we have extensive experience,” said Johannes Peters, a maritime security expert at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University, speaking to Deutsche Welle.
Peters noted that the North Sea and Baltic Sea contain some of the highest concentrations of unexploded ordnance from both World Wars, including mines and other explosive remnants still resting on the seabed. “Because those waters are essentially our operating environment, we have significant expertise in dealing with and clearing unexploded ordnance,” he said.
Following U.S. and Israeli strikes in late February, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz by laying mines in an uncoordinated manner, according to regional assessments. Shipping companies responded by rerouting or delaying tanker traffic through the Persian Gulf, sharply reducing global oil and liquefied natural gas flows and driving up fuel prices worldwide.
Restoring safe passage through the narrow chokepoint would require a full cessation of hostilities and systematic removal of mines. However, maritime security experts say locating them is highly complex. “There are different types of sea mines: drifting mines, moored mines that float at a set depth, and seabed mines,” said Nitya Labh, a maritime security specialist at Chatham House in London, speaking to Deutsche Welle.
Even when mines are identified, clearance operations can take weeks or months, she said. Iran itself is believed not to have precise knowledge of all mine locations due to shifting currents. “We do not know the exact number of mines or the specific areas where they were placed. So there is a lot of uncertainty,” Peters said, adding that mine deployment is far easier than removal.
German naval mine countermeasure vessels are specifically designed for such conditions. Their nonmagnetic steel hulls reduce the risk of triggering magnetically activated mines, while quiet propulsion systems minimize acoustic signatures that could set off explosive devices.
Unmanned systems play a central role in operations. The Fulda carries surface drones capable of simulating ship signatures to trigger controlled detonations, while underwater drones are used to locate and neutralize mines. When technology reaches its limits, specialized divers are deployed.
Any mission in Hormuz would also depend on regional consent, including from Oman and other coastal states. “Iran would have to agree. They would have to accept that foreign navies are assisting in clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz,” Peters said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said around 20 countries have expressed commitment to contributing to a potential mission. Analysts warn that neutrality will be critical. “It is important for Germany, France, and the U.K., if they participate, to clearly state they are not parties to the conflict and are not aligned with either the United States or Iran,” Labh said.
She also said participation by Gulf navies such as Oman or Saudi Arabia would strengthen legitimacy.
Whether the mission proceeds ultimately depends on the implementation of a U.S.-Iran framework agreement, which is intended to open negotiations on unresolved issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, with a 60-day target for a final deal.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz cautioned that parliamentary approval is unlikely before the Bundestag’s final session prior to the summer recess beginning July 6. “We are ready. When the time comes, we will be prepared,” Pistorius said.
Until then, German naval assets remain deployed under the EU Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea, continuing maritime security tasks in the region.
