Prominent members of the SPD faction in the Bundestag are criticizing the current government for the inadequate preparation of the planned federal deployment mandate for an operation in the Strait of Hormuz, and they are making specific demands of Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU).
According to the “Bild-Zeitung”, Siemtje Möller, the Deputy Vice-Chairperson responsible for foreign and defense policy, told the newspaper that given the tense situation in the region, there can be no rush. She stated that she currently lacks too much information to fulfill her responsibility toward the soldiers. She urged the Foreign Office to quickly clarify the international framework so that Parliament can make a decision without delay.
Adis Ahmetovic, the SPD faction’s foreign policy spokesperson, is pushing for the marine deployment to be secured by a United Nations mandate. Telling the “Bild-Zeitung”, he argued that “to protect our soldiers optimally, we also need the best possible UN resolution for this deployment.”
The newspaper learned that during a conference call held by the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defence with the faction’s expert representatives, criticism had been voiced by both the CDU and the SPD. The Members of Parliament insisted that the government must urgently regulate the international legal framework for the military mission. Furthermore, they demanded clarification on whether German warships would be operating in the Strait of Hormuz at the invitation of Iran, or whether the Mullah regime would at least tolerate the marine deployment.
