Germany said Monday it believes the United States is not referring to a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz but rather to a blockade of Iranian ports.
“The Strait of Hormuz, or the so-called blockade, as you call it, does not mark the end of this diplomatic process; we interpret it as a move to increase the pressure,” government spokesman Stefan Kornelius told reporters in Berlin.
He said Berlin’s interpretation was based on a statement from US Central Command, or CENTCOM, which “does not speak of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but rather of a blockade of Iranian ports.”
Kornelius added that the strait appears to be “a kind of bargaining chip” for both sides.
He said the German government is “making every effort to use this newly mounting pressure through diplomatic channels to achieve de-escalation.”
US President Donald Trump announced a blockade on Iranian ports that will take effect at 1400GMT on Monday.
The announcement followed rare direct talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad over the weekend aimed at ending the war that began Feb. 28, but the negotiations failed to produce an agreement.