Dutch urge caution on Strait of Hormuz, don’t rule out a role

Dutch foreign minister Tom Berendsen has not ruled out a role for the Netherlands in keeping the Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East open to shipping, but said on Monday that the decision about what to do requires very careful thought.

“We are going to check exactly what the options are. These are very serious decisions and we need to know what is possible and what can be done,” Berendsen told reporters ahead of the EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels.

“I don’t see it being solved one, two, three if Nato sends ships,” he said. “It is a very sensitive situation, there is a real likelihood of escalation and it is dangerous.”

EU member states are talking on Monday about what can be done to keep the strait open from a European perspective, foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas told reporters ahead of the gathering.

“It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and that is why we are looking at what we can do as Europe,” she said. The strait is a critical waterway for global oil shipping.

US President Donald Trump said in an interview with the Financial Times on Monday that Nato allies face “a very bad future” if they do not help protect shipping in the area.