Lithuania’s State Defense Council has approved plans to deploy up to 40 troops and civilian defense personnel to an international mission aimed at ensuring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the president’s office said.
In a statement released Monday, the office said the council had backed sending “up to 40 soldiers and civilian employees of the national defense system” to join allied maritime security operations in the strategically vital waterway.
The statement said the council had also proposed that the government immediately seek changes to the parliamentary mandate governing Lithuania’s participation in international operations.
A vote in the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, will be required before the deployment can go ahead.
The president’s office added that Lithuania was also prepared to provide logistical support and allow the use of its military infrastructure in response to requests from the US.
The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliation from Tehran against Israel as well as US allies in the Gulf along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
A ceasefire took effect on April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but talks in Islamabad failed to produce a lasting agreement. The truce was later extended by US President Donald Trump without a set deadline.
