Hormuz strait: Belgium reroutes its minehunter towards the Mediterranean

“I gave the order to reroute our minehunter, the Primula, from the Baltic Sea towards the Mediterranean Sea. We are ready to take our responsibility in the Strait of Hormuz when needed,” tweeted Belgian Defense minister Theo Francken (N-VA).

The decision to place one of Belgium’s minehunters on standby last weekend follows Belgium’s commitment to an eventual peacekeeping mission in the Hormuz strait, amid continuing tensions in the Middle East.

The commitment was made when Belgian prime minister Bart De Wever (NV-A) took part in a video call with French president Emmanuel Macron and British prime minister Keir Starmer. 

As soon as “the appropriate conditions are met,” Belgium intends to contribute to “a multinational peace mission aimed at preserving freedom of navigation,” declared De Wever. “As a maritime nation, we fully support this initiative,” he added.

If the prime minister did not give any precision on the nature of Belgium's contribution, many speculated that it would involve employing its naval expertise in demining at sea. 

Photo: ©Belgium Defence/Jorn Urbain