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Germany’s plans to deploy naval minesweepers to the Strait of Hormuz are unlikely to secure parliamentary approval before the Bundestag breaks for the summer, potentially delaying the deployment for months.
The hold-up, over worries that German soldiers might be put in danger, would be a significant setback in Berlin’s efforts to respond to Washington’s request for help reopening one of the world’s most important energy shipping waterways.
Thomas Röwekamp, chair of the Bundestag’s defence committee, said on Monday that the military and legal conditions required for parliament to authorise such a mission were unlikely to be met before lawmakers begin their summer recess on July 11.
The comments come despite defence minister Boris Pistorius ordering two naval vessels — the minesweeper Fulda and support ship Mosel — to sail to Djibouti in preparation for a possible deployment to the Gulf.
They cast doubt on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s ability to show that Berlin can move quickly to support US-led efforts to stabilise the region after Washington’s three-month conflict with Iran disrupted energy markets and strained transatlantic relations.
Germany’s postwar constitution gives parliament extensive oversight powers over the Bundeswehr, with legislative approval required for any overseas military deployments.
The first condition is an “effective ceasefire”, Röwekamp told Deutschland Funk. The second, he said, was a “clear international mandate” backed by the states concerned including Iran and Oman. Only then could parliament consider authorising a deployment.
“We can only adopt such a mandate if the safety of German soldiers is guaranteed and, above all, if there is a clear basis in international law,” Röwekamp said.
He added: “These conditions have not yet been met. I do not see them being met in the short term and therefore do not expect us to adopt such a mandate before the German Bundestag’s recess.”
Pistorius said on Friday that Germany was “ready” to participate in a maritime mission. But by Sunday evening he was saying it remained “open” whether the government would receive swift parliamentary backing.
He struggled to identify a legal basis for the mission, telling public broadcaster ARD that the government was examining whether the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states the right to freedom of navigation, could provide a legal foundation.
Röwekamp, a member of Merz’s CDU party, dismissed the suggestion as “insufficient”.
On Monday, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius urged “patience”, describing any deployment as “a process”.
“We will not send German soldiers into an armed conflict,” Röwekamp said. “We do not represent the partisan interests of individual states or warring parties. We want to secure peace and not be involved in military escalation.”
Additional reporting from Aysun Bora in Berlin
