German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius has blamed US President Donald Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling for the vital waterway to be reopened, AFP reports.

“Ultimately, the cork in the bottle neck of the Strait of Hormuz was pushed in by Donald Trump, not by us, but we have an interest in getting it out again,” Pistorius says in an interview with broadcaster ARD.

“The opening of the Strait of Hormuz, or rather safe passage through it, is in Europe’s interest, in the interest of our energy supply and our economic recovery,” Pistorius states, adding that any agreement to reopen the strait will need the support of Iran and Oman.

The Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was effectively blockaded during the hostilities that began on February 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Tehran had agreed to reopen it under a preliminary accord signed by Trump and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian, and shipping traffic had begun to recover.

But Iran on Saturday said it was once again closing the vital waterway over Israeli attacks in Lebanon.