Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nadezhda Neynsky said that the country will not participate in any military operations aimed at restoring free navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the BTA news agency reported.
The minister made the statement during a joint videoconference hosted by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on Thursday, the report said.
At the same time, Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said that the Netherlands is ready to make a military contribution to restoring free navigation in the strait after the cessation of hostilities.
“Safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is of such great importance that we are not going to stand by while others address this issue. We are ready to play our part,” Berendsen was quoted as saying by the Algemeen Dagblad newspaper.
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and civilian casualties. Iran responded by striking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East, including in Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
The escalation around Iran has led to the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for deliveries of oil and liquefied natural gas from the Persian Gulf countries to the global market, driving up energy prices.
