The United Kingdom and France will host a multinational meeting of defence ministers on Tuesday to discuss military plans for restoring trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz. The virtual summit, co-chaired by British Defence Secretary John Healey and French Minister Catherine Vautrin, will include representatives from more than 40 nations.
This meeting follows an earlier gathering of military planners in London during April, where officials discussed the practicalities of a multinational mission to protect navigation in the strategic waterway. John Healey stated that the objective is to turn diplomatic agreements into concrete military plans to restore confidence for commercial shipping.
The announcement comes as both London and Paris increase their naval presence in the Middle East. France has dispatched the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the region, while the UK confirmed on Saturday that it is sending the destroyer HMS Dragon. Both governments have described these deployments as "pre-positioning" to ensure readiness for a future international mission.
The British Ministry of Defence noted that the presence of HMS Dragon is intended to support mine clearance efforts and strengthen the confidence of the shipping industry once hostilities conclude. However, the move has drawn a sharp rebuke from Tehran. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned on Sunday that any foreign warships entering the region would meet a "decisive and immediate response", asserting that only Iran can establish security in the strait.
In a seemingly softer tone, French President Emmanuel Macron told journalists in Nairobi that France had never envisaged a naval deployment within the strait itself. Instead, he proposed a security mission that would be coordinated with Iran. He reiterated his opposition to any blockade or the imposition of tolls on ships passing through the strategic channel.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints. Prior to the outbreak of the US-Israel conflict with Iran on 28 February, approximately one-fifth of global oil supplies passed through the waterway. Since the start of hostilities, Iran has largely closed the strait, while the United States has imposed its own blockade on Iranian ports, causing significant turmoil in global energy markets.
