France and Britain are set to jointly convene a video conference on Friday with countries willing to take part in a “purely defensive mission” aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz, according to the office of the French president.
The initiative will be led by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who will co-chair discussions focused on developing plans to “restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz when security conditions allow”, the French presidency said on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for the UK prime minister’s office added that the meeting is intended to “advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”
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The move comes amid continued instability in the region, where US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February triggered a wider conflict that severely disrupted maritime activity.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial route for global oil and gas shipments — reportedly dropped to near standstill levels as tensions escalated.
Although Iran and the United States agreed last week to a temporary two-week halt in hostilities, ceasefire negotiations held over the weekend in Pakistan collapsed without an agreement.
In response, US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the US navy to begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz from Monday.