Wadephul also supported the views of French President Emmanuel Macron, who he said at the summit of G7 leaders on Tuesday that he may be ready to send fighter jets and frigates quickly, but that the request to do so must come not only from the United States but also from Iran and Oman.
“Germany needs to know if such a mission is possible in that area of the sea. That means that the coastal states must give their consent,” he said. “So far, there has been at least some ambiguity on the part of Iran – even words of denial. I don’t know if that is the final word. But it is clear to us that these conditions must be defined.”
Germany is expected to contribute to the mission eventually by sending miners, but Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government has repeatedly stressed that it needs a clear legal basis to do so. Wadephul and his Polish counterpart both said the goal could also be achieved by strengthening the mandate of the European Aspides mission, a military operation of the European Union starting in 2024 to deal with the Houthi rebels’ threat to shipping in the Red Sea.
“From the point of view of the German government, the European Union mandate of Aspides is also a suitable basis to emphasize our European responsibility there and provide a legal basis,” Wadephul said. “And that is why I propose again that we discuss, within the European framework, to amend this order accordingly.”
Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski shared that position. “We are considering, once the military operations are over, to create a legal framework for the Aspides mission, and that will also be acceptable to Poland,” he said in Berlin.
Aspides’ jurisdiction currently covers the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman but stops short of the Strait of Hormuz. EU leaders refused to extend it at a summit in March.
