Lithuania's parliament approves sending up to 40 personnel to Strait of Hormuz

Lithuania's parliament has voted to send up to 40 military and civilian personnel to international maritime security operations in the Strait of Hormuz, with opposition saying the decision was essential to securing the continued rotation of American troops in the country.

The measure passed in the Seimas on Thursday with 77 votes in favour, 11 against and 6 abstentions, expanding a mandate that previously covered only 5 personnel and allowing participation in multiple operations in the region.

Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Lithuania is considering contributing demining capabilities, drone system management, surveillance equipment and other specialist resources.

He said Lithuania aims to participate in both the Franco-British coalition and the separate US-led mission operating in the area, describing the deployment as a defensive contribution to maritime security and energy stability. Any disruption to shipping through the strait, he noted, would affect oil and energy prices across Europe.

Some lawmakers opposed the decision, citing an insufficiently clear mission definition and the risk of being drawn into a broader regional conflict. Supporters argued that such deployments are standard Nato practice, with specific tasks determined by allies.

Opposition conservative leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas was blunt about the stakes.

"Right now, the Americans are deciding on the military configuration here in our country and across Europe – in other words, their presence architecture. If we did not approve this mission now, the signal would be very poor," he told reporters after the vote. "If we want to keep American soldiers in Lithuania, the Seimas must approve this mission."

Lithuania hosts a NATO enhanced forward presence battle group and has long sought a permanent American military presence on its soil. The vote comes as Washington reviews its troop rotations across Europe – a matter of considerable sensitivity in Vilnius given the security situation on Nato's eastern flank.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil supplies pass, has become a focal point for Western maritime security efforts amid heightened military tension between the United States and Iran.

LRT English Newsletter

Every Friday morning.