German minister blames Trump for Strait of Hormuz closure

BERLIN - German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on June 21 blamed US President Donald Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling for the vital waterway to be reopened.

“Ultimately, the cork in the bottle neck of the Strait of Hormuz was pushed in by Donald Trump, not by us, but we have an interest in getting it out again,” Pistorius said in an interview with broadcaster ARD.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was effectively blockaded during the hostilities that began on Feb 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

Tehran had agreed to reopen it under a preliminary accord signed by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had begun to recover.

But Iran on June 20 said it was once again closing the vital waterway over Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

“The opening of the Strait of Hormuz, or rather safe passage through it, is in Europe’s interest, in the interest of our energy supply and our economic recovery,” Pistorius said.

The minister added that any agreement to reopen the strait would need the support of Iran and Oman.

Berlin has repeatedly distanced itself from Trump’s campaign against Iran, though officials have stopped short of blaming the US for the conflict.

When Trump pressed allies to help re-open or secure the Strait of Hormuz in April, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the war was “not a matter for NATO”.

Merz and Pistorius have also criticised the United States for not consulting its allies before beginning strikes on Iran. AFP