(AFP) – France and Britain said Friday they will lead a multinational mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while emphasising the force would be entirely defensive — and only deployed once peace in the region was agreed.
“I can confirm that, along with France, the UK will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation as soon as conditions allow,” British Prime Minister Starmer said after co-chairing a meeting in Paris on the issue alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. The event brought together over 30 other heads of state and government, most of them mainly attending by video link. Neither the United States nor Iran participated.
“This will be strictly peaceful and defensive as a mission to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance,” said Starmer, adding that “over a dozen countries have already offered to contribute assets.” As the Paris talks were being held, Iran announced that the key shipping route would be open to commercial vessels as long as a ceasefire in the Middle East lasts.
US President Donald Trump responded by saying his navy’s blockade just outside the Strait of Hormuz of ships going to or from Iranian ports remains “in full force and effect.” Iran imposed its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz — a critical shipping bottleneck through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes in peacetime — immediately after the US and Israel launched their war against the Islamic republic on February 28. Trump followed up with his US Navy blockade of vessels visiting Iranian ports after April 11-12 talks that failed to yield any breakthrough.
The Paris talks’ participants welcomed Tehran’s announcement of the strait’s reopening, but urged a “full, unconditional reopening by all the parties,” Macron said. He said the announcement made the multinational mission “all the more important because it is what will allow these announcements to be consolidated in the short term and, above all, to have a chance of lasting.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who also attended the meeting in person, emphasised that such a force would need to await a “cessation of hostilities” but added: “Italy is ready to participate.” German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Paris it would be “desirable” to have US participation in any mission. Merz said Germany would “take part in the further military planning discussions that are taking place, and we would also welcome, if possible, the participation of the United States of America.”
© 2024 AFP
