Belgian Minesweeper Primula Stands Ready for Hormuz Mission
The Belgian minesweeper BNS Primula is positioned in the Mediterranean Sea and ready to deploy to the Strait of Hormuz for mine clearance operations following the landmark US-Iran peace deal announced on June 14. However, the Belgian federal government has yet to make a final political decision on deployment, as two critical conditions remain unmet: a permanent, verifiable ceasefire and an international mandate under EU or NATO auspices.
A Critical Maritime Chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s energy traffic passes, has been largely closed since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran. The closure triggered a global energy crisis, spiking oil prices and disrupting supply chains. The US-Iran peace deal, brokered by Pakistan and Qatar and set to be formally signed in Switzerland on June 19, promises to reopen the strait for “toll-free shipping,” as President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform.
But reopening the waterway is no simple matter. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has warned of a mine-dangerous area spanning 1,400 square kilometers, and experts estimate it could take approximately six months to clear the strait of naval mines. Some mines may be GPS-equipped floating devices, making them harder to detect, though it remains unconfirmed whether mines are actually present.
Belgium’s Specialized Role
Belgium has a long-standing reputation in naval mine countermeasures. It hosts NATO’s Center of Excellence for Naval Mine Warfare (Eguermin) in Ostend, a hub for allied mine warfare training. This expertise positions Belgium as a valuable contributor to the international coalition — dubbed the “Coalition of the Willing” — that is forming to secure the strait.
The BNS Primula (M924), a 36-year-old Tripartite-class minehunter launched in 1990, is Belgium’s primary asset for this mission. According to VRT NWS, the ship has been prepositioned in the Mediterranean after departing the Baltic Sea in late April, where it had been part of NATO’s Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). It is currently participating in NATO’s SNMCMG2 in the Mediterranean, conducting training exercises while awaiting a potential Hormuz deployment.
Political Conditions and Constraints
Admiral Tanguy Botman, Commander of the Belgian Navy, outlined the conditions for deployment in an interview with VRT NWS’s Terzake program. “Those conditions are very important,” Botman said. “They concern a permanent ceasefire and an international mandate. That is not yet the case.”
Minister of Defense Theo Francken (N-VA) confirmed that Belgium is ready to send its minesweeper but must first wait for agreements within the Coalition of the Willing about the division of responsibilities. “We can as Belgium also offer other maritime services,” Francken added. Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot (Les Engages) stated simply on X/Twitter: “We are ready to help.”
Parliamentary debate is required before any deployment. Francken stated that the Defense and Foreign Affairs committees will hold a joint debate, likely based on a resolution.
The Primula’s Limitations
The Primula’s age presents significant challenges. Its maximum speed has been reduced from 15 to 8-9 knots (approximately 15 km/h) due to age, meaning transit to the Strait of Hormuz would take approximately one month. More critically, the ship has no self-defense capabilities — it is equipped with only three .50-caliber machine guns and cannot defend against drones or missiles. “The Primula is a small ship that detects mines to neutralize them, but it does not have self-defense capabilities,” Botman explained. “If the Primula is deployed in a coalition with the EU or NATO, it can be protected by other frigates that do have self-defense capabilities.”
Belgium currently has no operational frigate available: BNS Louise-Marie is in major maintenance, and BNS Leopold I is being worked up. A frigate could potentially be deployed by autumn 2026 if needed.
Alternatives and Forward Options
Admiral Botman noted that the Primula is only one option. Belgium could deploy portable mine countermeasure systems — drones that can be airlifted via A400M transport aircraft and deployed within a week, along with divers. This would offer a faster alternative to the month-long sea transit.
Both the Primula and its sister ship BNS Lobelia are scheduled for decommissioning by the end of 2028, to be replaced by six new City-class mine countermeasure vessels equipped with drone “toolboxes” for remote mine detection and neutralization. The first of these, BNS Oostende, is expected to become operational in late 2026 or early 2027.
Broader Implications
The US-Iran peace deal, as detailed by Al Jazeera, includes a 14-point memorandum of understanding covering the immediate cessation of hostilities, lifting of the US naval blockade within 30 days, and a framework for further nuclear negotiations over a 60-day period. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency has reported that sea mines “remain a threat” in the strait and that commercial vessel traffic remains “significantly reduced.”
Belgium’s decision on the Primula deployment will serve as a key test of its commitment to international maritime security and its role within NATO and EU defense frameworks. The mission could also accelerate Belgium’s naval modernization timeline or expose gaps that require interim solutions.
What to Watch For
The coming days will be critical. The June 19 signing ceremony in Switzerland will determine whether the ceasefire holds. The Belgian government is expected to hold parliamentary debates soon after, and a decision on deployment — whether of the Primula, portable drone systems, or both — could follow. As Admiral Botman put it: “A military mission is always dangerous. It is not a decision made on gut feeling, but based on risk analysis. And with those two conditions, this risk is completely acceptable.”