Latvia to help guard Strait of Hormuz with all two ships and Karosta Prison experience

Latvia has officially announced its readiness to participate in ensuring ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz, joining 21 other countries in this courageous mission. Liepāja Port comments: "Finally someone appreciates our experience with closed ports and rusty ships!"

Iran has been blocking the strait with missiles and drones for weeks, reducing ship traffic by 95 percent. This is as dramatic a drop as visitor numbers to Karosta Prison during winter months, except here no one expected the horror experience to be so real. Local sailors philosophically admit: "At least in the Strait of Hormuz there's something to be afraid of, not just our port fees."

In the announcement, 22 countries "most strongly condemn" Iran's attacks on unarmed merchant ships, which sounds almost as stern as Liepāja City Council decisions about snow removal in January. Latvia's contribution to the mission will remain shrouded in mystery, but experts predict it could be up to one ship and two sailors with experience navigating between ice chunks.

Meanwhile, Riga is already preparing heroic announcements about Latvia's importance in international security, while Liepāja pragmatically thinks: "If push comes to shove, we can tell them how to live with closed ports. We have experience."