Portugal has ruled out any military involvement in the conflict around the Strait of Hormuz, responding to pressure from Washington for greater allied mobilisation. The position was reiterated on Monday by foreign minister Paulo Rangel on the sidelines of a meeting in Brussels.
Rangel said Portugal’s national strategy is exclusively focused on diplomacy and de-escalation, stressing that this orientation has not changed. “Portugal is not and will not be involved in this conflict,” he said, ruling out the deployment of military assets to the Strait of Hormuz.
The minister acknowledged the strategic relevance of the maritime route for the global economy and energy transport, but argued that the reopening of the strait and freedom of navigation should be pursued primarily through political means. According to Rangel, there are “multiple diplomatic instruments” available to the European Union to contribute to regional stabilisation without resorting to military force.
Despite rejecting armed intervention, Rangel was sharply critical of the Iranian regime, describing it as a “serious threat” and accusing Tehran of contributing to the escalation of the conflict by attacking countries that were not directly involved — behaviour he said demonstrates “a high degree of dangerousness” on Iran’s part.
Read more about this topic: Iran War: Germany refuses Trump’s appeal to guarantee security in the Strait of Hormuz (with video)
The remarks come as US president Donald Trump has intensified calls on allies to cooperate in security initiatives in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil trade arteries. Portugal joins several allied countries that have already ruled out direct military involvement in the region, opting instead for an approach centred on dialogue, preventive diplomacy and conflict containment.
