Germany remains ready to participate in a mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz once the conflict between the United States and Iran is over, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday.
Berlin's commitment is valid as long as the necessary conditions are fulfilled, Merz told lawmakers in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament.
"Until then, we are committed to a diplomatic solution to the conflict," he added.
The comments came as the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran appears on the brink of collapse, with both sides exchanging heavy fire overnight.
The Iranian military said traffic through the Strait of Hormuz - a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that is critical to the global oil and gas trade - has been completely shut off amid the latest attacks.
However, the US Central Command wrote on X that commercial traffic continues to flow through the strait overnight.
Merz said Germany is ready to take responsibility in the Gulf region after the end of the conflict. The aim is for Iran to shut down its nuclear programme, he argued.
In addition, the security of Israel and the entire region must be guaranteed, "or there will be no peace in the region," Merz suggested.
Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, has been preparing since May for an operation in the Strait of Hormuz that could include minehunter vessels.
