Iran Closes Hormuz Strait Again, German Defense Minister Blames President Trump

JAKARTA - German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Sunday blamed US President Donald Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and called for the vital waterway to be reopened.

"In the end, the plug in the neck of the Strait of Hormuz bottle was pushed in by Donald Trump, not by us, but we have an interest in reopening it," Defense Minister Pistorius said in an interview with ARD television station, reported Al Arabiya from AFP (22/6).

The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and gas shipments, was effectively blocked during hostilities that began on February 28 with a US-Israeli attack on Iran.

Tehran has agreed to reopen it under a preliminary agreement signed by President Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic has begun to recover.

But Iran on Saturday said it would again close the vital waterway due to Israel's attacks in Lebanon.

"The opening of the Strait of Hormuz, or more precisely the safe passage through the strait, is in the interest of Europe, in the interest of our energy supply and economic recovery," said Defense Minister Pistorius.

He added that any agreement to reopen the strait requires the support of Iran and Oman.

Berlin has repeatedly distanced itself from President Trump's campaign against Iran, although officials have not directly blamed the US for the conflict.

When President Trump urged allies to help reopen or secure the Strait of Hormuz in April, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the war was "not NATO's business."

Chancellor Merz and Defense Minister Pistorius also criticized the United States for not consulting its allies before launching an attack on Iran.