Iran attacks Germany over Hormuz mine‑clearance cost claim

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Iran had illegally mined the Strait of Hormuz and that Tehran should bear the cost of any international mine‑clearance operation. He added that Germany would not charge Iran now but considered the claim "justified" because the damage was caused by the Iranian regime.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson (Ismail Bekayi/Esmaeil Baghaei) responded on social media, calling Wadephul’s remarks "utterly shameful" and likening them to a "grotesque distortion of reality" from Goethe’s Faust. He accused Berlin of complicity in military aggression against Iran and said Germany must be held fully accountable for its role.

Berlin has positioned specialised vessels – the mine‑hunter "Fulda" and supply ship "Mosel" – in Djibouti pending a political and legal framework, and has secured the backing of France, the United Kingdom and Italy for a defensive mission to keep the waterway open. Iran has rejected any foreign involvement in a clearance operation and rejects the cost‑recovery proposal.