GERMANY PERSPECTIVE

Berlin finds itself in a role that the Zeitenwende was supposed to make obsolete: that of an ally waiting for the American green light before acting. Tagesschau reports that the Bundeswehr is considering contributing to an international mission in Hormuz with minesweepers and P-8 Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft. But conditions are strict: a 'provisionally minimum' ceasefire, a Bundestag mandate, and a 'viable' military concept. Chancellor Merz confirmed the willingness to participate at the Paris summit. The SPD supports the approach but adds its own conditions. Germany has eight minesweepers and two diver-intervention vessels. The numbers are revealing: this is niche maritime capacity, not power-projection capacity. Nearly 30 heads of state and government gather in Paris on Friday to plan the mission. Pakistan's Geo News notes that Berlin could also propose freeing NATO forces for Hormuz—an admission that European resources alone are insufficient. Tagesschau notes that Iran has mined the strait and is firing on tankers and cargo vessels. Germany is prepared to send minesweepers, not combat troops. The distinction is crucial: Berlin is participating in the aftermath of war, not the war itself.