🔶 Possible withdrawal of German Navy ships from the Middle East region Boris Pistorius, Germany’s defense minister, said it is possible that the navy ships of this country, which were recently deployed to the region to support a potential international mission aimed at protecting the important commercial route through the Strait of Hormuz, may be pulled out of the mission. Pistorius said at a joint press conference with Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor, and Mark Rutte, NATO secretary general, in Berlin that it is not possible to expect that the conditions required for an international mission to protect the commercial route of the Strait of Hormuz will be met anytime soon. He stressed that German ships are not going to stay indefinitely waiting. The German defense minister said one of the main reasons for his skepticism is statements by Iranian officials who have said that mine clearance in this waterway by other countries is not acceptable. According to this report, two German Army ships are currently stationed in the port of Djibouti.