France and Britain will co-chair a meeting on Friday with about 40 countries to signal to the United States that key allies are prepared to help restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz when conditions permit.
Since U.S.-Israeli airstrikes began on February 28, Iran has largely restricted the strait to its own vessels. In response, Washington on Monday imposed a blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on other countries to help enforce the blockade and has criticised NATO allies for not doing so.
Britain, France and others say joining the blockade would amount to entering the war, but they have said they would be willing to help keep the strait open once there was a lasting ceasefire or the conflict ended.
The initiative being discussed does not, for now, include the United States or Iran, though European diplomats said any realistic mission would ultimately need to be coordinated with both. Washington will be briefed on the outcome of the talks.
Aim of the Meeting
According to a note sent to invited nations, the aim of the meeting is to reaffirm full diplomatic support for unfettered freedom of navigation through the strait – through which around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas usually passes – and the need to respect international law.
The meeting will also address economic challenges facing the shipping industry and the safety of more than 20,000 stranded seafarers and trapped commercial vessels.
It will also outline preparations for the deployment – when conditions are met – of a strictly defensive multinational military mission to ensure freedom of navigation.
A chair’s statement is expected at the end of the meeting to give a more tangible sense of what such a mission could entail, although it is not expected to spell out what specific countries might contribute.
Three European diplomats said that there could be an announcement on an operational centre, possibly based in Oman. Two of the diplomats said there were some differences on whether any future mission would need a new legal framework through a U.N. Security Council resolution.
The final statement should reiterate the opposition to any tolls on the Strait of Hormuz and a call to any state that would want to contribute, either with military assets to a future international naval mission or with diplomatic, political or possibly financial support, two of the diplomats said.
Resources Will Depend On Situation, Official Says
French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend a Paris meeting, with officials from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East joining virtually.
Merz said Germany is in principle ready to help secure transit routes after hostilities, preferably under a UN mandate and with U.S. involvement. China has also been invited, though its participation remains unclear.
Diplomats said the proposed mission may not materialise if conditions in the Strait of Hormuz stabilize, though shipping firms and insurers could still push for a temporary deployment.
A senior French official said options under discussion include intelligence sharing, mine clearance, naval escorts, and coordination with neighbouring states. Britain said the talks will feed into a multinational military planning meeting next week.
(With inputs from Reuters)
