At present, Latvia’s involvement in a potential operation in the Strait of Hormuz is not planned, Defence Minister Andris Sprūds (P) told Latvian Radio.
The minister emphasized that Latvian soldiers are currently participating in several missions in the region — NATO’s mission in Iraq, UN missions in Lebanon and Israel, and the European Union (EU) mission in the Red Sea. There are currently no plans for further involvement, he stressed.
When asked whether Latvia would have the resources to participate in such an operation if needed, the minister explained that any potential request would first have to be received and then carefully assessed, including the direct impact of such participation on the security of NATO’s eastern flank.
The minister acknowledged that this regional conflict has serious global consequences and must be taken into account. At the same time, any decision on potential participation in an operation would first need to be made within the frameworks of the EU and NATO, Sprūds noted.
“Latvia’s primary task is to ensure security on the eastern flank, carry out existing missions,
and strengthen cooperation within NATO, including with the United States in Latvia,” the minister said.
Asked to comment on US President Donald Trump’s statement that NATO faces a “very bad” future if allies do not help unblock the Strait of Hormuz — a key route for global oil exports — Sprūds noted that differing approaches have existed on other issues before and could also arise in this case, “but I do not see a direct impact on NATO.”
It has already been reported that the war by the United States and Israel against Iran has led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply is transported, triggering a sharp rise in prices.
On Sunday, the US president warned that NATO faces a “very bad” future if allies do not help unblock the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, Trump said he expects France and the United Kingdom to assist in ensuring navigation through the strait, which Iran is currently attempting to block.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is not a NATO task.
Starmer noted that this would require the involvement of a broader coalition, including Gulf partners, as well as European countries and the United States.
“We are working with other countries to develop a credible plan for the Strait of Hormuz that would allow us to restore shipping and transit. Let me be clear — this is not and has never been planned as a NATO mission,” Starmer told journalists at Downing Street.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that the war in the Middle East, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, has nothing to do with NATO and is not a NATO war.
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