Germany says Iran should pay for mine clearance in Strait of Hormuz

Germany’s foreign minister said on Monday Iran must ultimately bear the cost of any international operation to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz.

Johann Wadephul made the remarks in an interview with the Handelsblatt newspaper after being asked whether European countries might offer Iran financial incentives to secure Tehran’s consent for a mine-clearing mission.

“We do not need to offer Tehran anything at all; quite the contrary: Iran has unlawfully mined an international shipping lane,” Wadephul said.

“If we clear it together with other European partners, we do not intend to charge a fee for doing so at this stage,” he added.

“In principle, however, it would be justified, and Iran ought to foot the bill, since we would be remedying damage caused by the regime.”

Wadephul said Germany remains open to contributing to an international mission to restore safe navigation through the strait, but stressed that any deployment of German forces would require a clear legal and political framework.

“It would become clear this summer whether there is a feasible and sensible role for the Bundeswehr in mine clearance. A prerequisite is a sufficiently secure environment,” he said.

He added that such an operation would need the consent of the littoral states — particularly Oman and Iran — and would depend heavily on the progress of US-Iran negotiations.

Last month, Germany sent the minesweeper Fulda and the supply ship Mosel from the eastern Mediterranean toward the region as a preparatory step. The vessels passed through the Suez Canal in mid-June and are currently anchored in Djibouti for resupply. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said last week he is considering recalling the two German navy ships.

Iran has repeatedly rejected any foreign involvement in securing the Strait of Hormuz, insisting that responsibility for the waterway lies solely with its littoral states and warning extra-regional powers against projecting military force there.