The German government has played down expectations that the Bundestag will vote on a mandate for a Bundeswehr deployment in the Strait of Hormuz before the parliamentary summer recess in July, government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said on Monday.
"There are very clear conditions that we have attached to the granting of a mandate," Kornelius said in Berlin. "Since many of these conditions have not been met, I urge patience," he added. "I consider it urgently necessary that we refrain from speculating about dates."
Under the framework agreement between the United States and Iran, the aim is to reach a final deal between Washington and Tehran within 60 days, which is also to include provisions on handling Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
Kornelius said this led "into a timeframe in which the Bundestag [lower house of parliament] will also be in summer recess."
"I would therefore be very cautious at this point about predicting dates," Kornelius said.
Kornelius said there had been no concrete US request regarding Germany's offer to deploy the German armed forces, or Bundeswehr, for mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, which is vital to international energy supplies.
There had been indirect calls from US President Donald Trump, who had urged European partners to provide support. "But there has been no specific request," he said.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz had made clear last week on the sidelines of the G7 summit in the French spa town of Évian that he expected the Bundestag to vote on the necessary mandate for a possible Bundeswehr deployment in the Strait of Hormuz immediately before the parliamentary summer recess in July. However, any deployment remained "subject to a whole series of conditions that have not yet been met," he said.
