Brussels, March 16, 2026 (Lusa) - The foreign minister on Monday ruled out any military involvement by Portugal in the Middle East, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and emphasised that this position is shared by the majority of European Union member states.
“Portugal is not, and will not be, involved in this conflict,” said Paulo Rangel, speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.
The minister stated that “anything that can be done to clear the Strait of Hormuz and allow freedom of navigation is positive”.
“There are many things that can be done at the political and diplomatic level. That is where Portugal stands, and where I believe the European Union will also stand,” he said.
The foreign minister noted that, among his EU counterparts, there is a “broad consensus” on the idea that efforts must be made to “overcome this blockade or manipulation of freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, but without resorting to any military option.
“Everyone is willing, especially those with the greatest resources – and when I say resources, I also mean diplomatic resources – to cooperate in this regard. Now, of course, this does not imply the deployment of military assets to the region and, in particular, to the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
Asked whether Portugal supports a possible deployment of the EU’s Aspis mission, which currently escorts commercial and merchant ships in the Red Sea, to the Strait of Hormuz, Rangel noted that both that mission and Operation Atalanta, which operates in the Indian Ocean, “may receive some reinforcement”.
“But they are different types of missions and, therefore, must be viewed within their own context. It is certainly not within the context of this conflict, for which these missions were not designed,” he stated.
When asked whether Portugal would not respond to the challenge from US President Donald Trump, who warned that NATO would face a “very bleak future” if the allies did not help to open the Strait of Hormuz, Rangel replied: “Yes”.
“What I can say is that we will not participate in this conflict; that has been very clear from the outset,” he said.
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