Turkey could consider taking part in efforts to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz if Iran and the United States reach an agreement to end their confrontation, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, framing any such role as a humanitarian mission rather than support for either side.
Speaking to Turkish reporters after talks in London, Fidan said demining was now one of the main issues under discussion because the waterway is a major route for global energy shipments.
“Clearing mines is a basic humanitarian issue that serves everyone and would not be about taking sides in a war, so after an agreement we could look positively at such an effort,” Fidan said.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy routes. Some 20 million barrels per day of oil, or around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, passes through the strait, along with about 19 percent of global liquefied natural gas trade, according to the International Energy Agency. Most of those shipments go to Asian markets, but any disruption can affect energy prices worldwide.
The strait has become a flashpoint in the conflict between Iran and the United States, which started with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Iran responded by closing or restricting passage through the waterway, while the United States imposed a naval blockade on ships seeking to use Iranian ports. Although a conditional ceasefire is in place, shipping through Hormuz remains far below normal levels. Only five ships passed through the strait in a 24-hour period on Friday, compared with a prewar average of about 140 daily passages.
The danger to shipping has not been limited to mines. Iran has seized vessels near the strait using small, fast boats, showing that it still has the ability to threaten maritime traffic even after US strikes damaged parts of its navy. Iran’s seizure of two container ships near Hormuz has raised doubts about how quickly the waterway can be reopened to commercial traffic.
Mines remain one of the main obstacles to reopening the strait. The US said that its military destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near Hormuz in March, while President Donald Trump warned Iran to remove any mines laid in the waterway. Iran has deployed about a dozen naval mines in the strait, and US officials have warned that further mining would violate the ceasefire.
Turkey depends on imported energy and is exposed to price shocks caused by disruptions in the Gulf.