The European powers have convened a conference on Friday to establish a security system that can keep the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping.
It is currently closed as a result of the war that broke out on February 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran. This prompted Iran to block entry and exit from the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Most recently, the United States has also blocked the strait to prevent ships carrying Iranian oil from sailing to the world market. There is currently a ceasefire, and according to the United States, Iran must lift the blockade during the ceasefire. This has not happened.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on NATO countries, including Britain and France, to intervene in the conflict and ensure that the Strait of Hormuz reopens.
The United States has been rejected all along. The European countries say that in that case it would mean that they become parties to a war that they did not start. But Britain and France have said that they are ready to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open when the war ends.
It is this operation that must now be planned. So a forced opening of the strait is not on the agenda when French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer host the conference on Friday. It is the time after the conflict that must be discussed.
- The summit will promote work on coordinating an independent, multinational plan that can secure international shipping when the conflict ends, says a spokesman for Starmer according to the German news agency dpa.
40 countries are expected to participate
It is a conference via video. Reuters writes that leaders from 40 countries are expected to participate. There are 40 countries, which thus signal that they are ready to participate in an international mission to keep the important strait open.
Diplomatic sources close to the event say, according to Reuters, that Britain is leading the diplomatic track in the process.
In contrast, it is France that is working on the military planning. France must assess what is made available from the contributing nations and how it can be used and coordinated.
The sources say that the discussions are still preparatory. Any mission in the Strait of Hormuz will only become relevant when the conflict is over and some kind of agreement has been reached between Iran and the United States.
- The United States must pull itself together. At the moment it is paradoxical, because it is the United States that is the most unpredictable, says a senior European diplomat.
Some work is already underway. Back in March, Macron said that France and its allies were preparing "defensive" missions to open the strategically important waterway. But he also said that there would be no escort ships "under bombardment".
- Several dozen countries are already engaged in preparatory work, mainly led by chiefs of staff. This should define the framework for a mission, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio on Tuesday, AFP reports.
- It is a matter of coordinating it with the coastal states, he added, referring to the Arab oil states in the Persian Gulf.
/ritzau/
Text, graphics, images, sound, and other content on this website are protected under copyright law. DK Medier reserves all rights to the content, including the right to exploit the content for the purpose of text and data mining, cf. Section 11b of the Copyright Act and Article 4 of the DSM Directive.
Customers with IP agreements/major customer agreements may only share Danish Offshore Industry articles internally for the purpose of handling specific cases. Sharing in connection with specific cases refers to journaling, archiving, or similar uses.
Customers with a personal subscription/login may not share Danish Offshore Industry articles with individuals who do not themselves have a personal subscription to Danish Offshore Industry.
Any deviation from the above requires written consent from DK Medier.
