Germany Skeptical about Joining U.S. Hormuz Mission

Germany's Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday he was very skeptical about a request by the United States to join a military mission for the Strait of Hormuz.

Scholz told ZDF television that it was important to avoid a military escalation in the region and that such a mission carried the risk of being dragged into an even bigger conflict, adding: "That's why I think this is not a good idea."

The U.S. Embassy in Berlin said on Tuesday that the United States had formally asked Germany to join France and Britain in a mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz and to "combat Iranian aggression".

Reporting by Michael Nienaber