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Germany will withdraw two naval vessels from the Red Sea region and relocate them to the eastern Mediterranean in the coming days, the Defence Ministry said Thursday.
The vessels—the Fulda minesweeper and the Mosel supply ship—are currently stationed in Djibouti, a ministry spokesman confirmed to AFP.
The ships were deployed to the region last month in preparation for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz following the end of the US-Iran war.
However, the ministry said the “volatile political situation” and the lack of any foreseeable start to operations in the strait had prompted the decision to reposition the vessels.
Maintaining the ships in the region indefinitely would also place an unnecessary strain on their technical systems, the ministry said.
The decision comes as tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified in recent days.
On Thursday, Iran-aligned Houthi rebels also claimed attacks on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea, adding to growing concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.
Despite the relocation, Germany said both vessels would remain “in a state of readiness for deployment” and could return to the Middle East as soon as reliable indications emerge that a mission in the Strait of Hormuz is imminent.
