US embassy in Berlin announced that Washington has officially requested Germany to join the international naval force in the Persian Gulf to provide protection for commercial ships in the Persian Gulf.

The spokesperson for the American embassy in Berlin, Tamara Sternberg-Greller, said in a statement on Tuesday: "We have officially asked Germany to assist, together with France and the U.K., to maintain the security of the Strait of Hormuz and counter Iranian aggression."

She continued: "Members of the German government have been clear that freedom of navigation should be protected. Our question is, protected by whom?"

After Iran detained a British tanker in response to the seizure of its tanker by British forces in Gibraltar for violating EU sanctions against Syria, last week the British government proposed a joint European naval force to protect shipping in the Persian Gulf. Several European countries including France and Denmark have supported the idea, while Germany is yet to decide.

The United States has also asked its allies to join a US-led naval mission in the Persian Gulf to protect freedom of navigation in the region. South Korea has already deployed a naval unit to the Persian Gulf.