The German Ministry of Defense has officially decided to withdraw two of its key naval ships from the Red Sea region.
The move is a direct consequence of the sharp resumption of the military conflict between the US and Iran, which has escalated in recent days and threatened security in the Middle East.
The German vessels - the minesweeper “Fulda“ and the supply ship “Mosel“ - will leave their current positions near the port of Djibouti and will be moved to the Eastern Mediterranean within a few days. According to the official statement quoted by the AFP news agency (source: bssnews.net), the ships will remain on standby at their new location. They can return as soon as the political situation stabilizes.
Reasons for the maneuver: Insecurity and threats in the Red Sea
The ships were sent to the region last month with the aim of possibly participating in an international mine clearance mission and securing shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. However, the German military ministry explained that the “unstable political situation and the lack of predictability of an imminent start of the operation“ make their indefinite stay there technically impractical.
Tensions in the Middle East reached critical levels after the US carried out another series of consecutive nighttime air strikes on Iranian military targets. In response to the conflict, Yemeni Houthi rebels backed by Tehran attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones and declared a full naval blockade of Saudi Arabia. This led to a new shock on the markets and a rise in the price of Brent oil above $ 100 per barrel.
Despite the withdrawal of these two ships, Berlin confirmed its continued commitment to the European defense operation “Aspides“ to protect trade routes.
Sources used in the material:
- Official statement of the German Ministry of Defense, retransmitted by international agencies (see bssnews.net and eurasiareview.com from 23-24 July 2026)
- Information on the escalation of the US-Iran conflict and the strikes in the Red Sea (see dw.com and cbsnews.com from July 23-24, 2026)
- Chronicle of events on the security of merchant ships (see bloombergtv.bg and investor.bg from July 22-23, 2026)