NATO Chief: Mine-Clearing in the Strait of Hormuz Is Not NATO's Mission, But We Are Monitoring

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said during a visit to Berlin on Thursday, September 10, 2026 (19 Shahrivar 1405), that NATO as an alliance is not conducting mine-clearing operations in the Strait of Hormuz, since the area falls outside the North Atlantic alliance's territory. According to Ecoiran, citing Fararu, Rutte said member states are closely monitoring developments in the region and coordinating their own actions, and pointed to an ongoing French-British initiative in the area.

Rutte said some member states, including Latvia and Lithuania, are helping with mine-clearing without putting their own forces at direct risk, and that all such efforts are coordinated with the United States. The remarks came amid intensified recent attacks on ships and tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, which this week pushed global Brent crude prices above $100 a barrel.