HMS Willemstad may have a role in guaranteeing free passage in the Strait of Hormuz later. Ministers Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius of Defense and Tom Berendsen of Foreign Affairs informed the House of Representatives in a letter. The ministers emphasize that the cabinet has not yet decided about a deployment of the minehunter.
The Netherlands is closely involved in the military planning of a possible deployment in the Strait of Hormuz. This is done through an international coalition of about 40 countries, led by France and the United Kingdom. To enable timely deployment, the Ministry of Defense has started operational preparations in parallel with the planning.
In that context, HMS Willemstad of the Royal Netherlands Navy will join a NATO fleet in the Mediterranean at the beginning of June. The permanent fleet Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG 2) focuses on mine countermeasures around the Mediterranean Sea. From there, if the cabinet decides to do so, the ship can quickly head for the Strait of Hormuz. The ship will depart later this week from the port of Zeebrugge, Belgium.
In addition, preparations have been made to quickly deploy a combined search, diving and explosive ordnance disposal team, possibly together with a Dutch support ship. It is also being investigated whether the Netherlands can provide staff capacity to the mission.