France and the United Kingdom will host an international conference in the coming days to coordinate a “defensive” mission ensuring safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday.
Macron said the conference will bring together countries willing to contribute to a peaceful, multinational operation aimed at restoring freedom of navigation.
“This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties, will be deployed as soon as circumstances permit,” he wrote on X.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote on a social media post that “the UK has convened more than 40 nations who share our aim to restore freedom of navigation.”
Calling the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz “deeply damaging,” Starmer said that this week, the UK and France “will co-host a summit to advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends.”
Marcon’s statement comes after Starmer said that the United Kingdom will not participate in enforcing the US military blockade of Hormuz, following the US Central Command’s (CENTCOM) announcement that it would begin blocking all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports at 10 a.m. Eastern Time (8:30 pm IST) in line with President Trump’s proclamation.
UK minesweepers and anti-drone units will continue operations in the region, but British naval vessels and personnel will not be used to enforce the blockade.
CENTCOM said the blockade will apply impartially to vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports, including those on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
Keir urged both the US and Iran “to find a way through” after initial peace talks dubbed as “Islamabad talks” in Pakistan ended without an agreement to end the conflict.
Downing Street said the prime minister discussed the talks, where the UK played no direct role, with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik al Said by phone, stressing the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and avoiding further escalation.
US Vice-President JD Vance said that Iran’s refusal to commit to forgoing nuclear weapons was the key reason talks failed, while Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran had proposed “forward-looking initiatives” but had yet to secure US trust.
