40 nations attend UK-led talks on stopping Iran from holding world ‘hostage’ in Hormuz |
About 40 countries discussed joint action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to stop Iran holding “the global economy hostage,” Britain said Thursday, after US President Donald Trump said securing the waterway was for others to resolve.
Tehran has effectively shut down the key waterway, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil shipments, after the US and Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iran on February 28 in a bid to destabilize its regime and destroy its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Iran’s “recklessness” in blockading the Persian Gulf waterway was “hitting our global economic security” as she chaired the virtual meeting, which included France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and India, but not the US.
“We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage,” said Cooper.
“Unsustainable” spikes in oil and food prices were “hitting households and businesses in every corner of the world,” she said in opening remarks broadcast to the media before the rest of the meeting took place behind closed doors.
European officials said Thursday’s initial meeting focused on which countries were prepared to participate in the proposed coalition and the diplomatic and economic options available to persuade Iran to open the strait.
Although the meeting ended without any specific agreements, there was a consensus Iran should not be able to introduce transit fees on ships using the waterway and all nations should be able to use it freely, one of the officials said.
The next stage of talks will be held when military planners meet next week to discuss options, including potential mine-clearing work and providing a reassurance force for commercial shipping.
Meanwhile, the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called Thursday for the UN Security Council to authorize the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks.
“Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting, and imposed conditions on some to pass through the strait,” said the GCC secretary-general, Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi.
He was speaking in New York at the first Security Council meeting on cooperation with the GCC, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.
“We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,” AlBudaiwi said.
Bahrain has proposed a draft resolution that would greenlight states to use “all necessary means” to assure free transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Macron: Military operation ‘unrealistic’
Speaking on a visit to South Korea, French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz was “unrealistic,” while lamenting Trump’s differing daily statements on the Iran war and NATO.
“It would take an indefinite amount of time, and it would expose all those who venture through this strait to coastal risks from the Revolutionary Guards, as well as ballistic missiles,” he said.
“There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” said Macron, adding: “I say sometimes because it has varied, it is never the option we have chosen, and we consider it unrealistic.”
The comments came after Trump on Wednesday told UK newspaper The Telegraph that he was seriously considering quitting NATO because of its failure to join the fight against Iran.
Trump, whose country is not a major importer of oil via the Strait of Hormuz, also said in a speech later Wednesday that the strait would open “naturally” once the conflict ended, and called on countries that use the waterway to show “courage” and seize it.
European countries had refused to send their navies to the strait because of fears of getting dragged into the conflict, but concern over rising energy costs has prompted them to try to form a coalition to see how they can defend their own interests.
European diplomats said putting the coalition together was at an early stage, with Britain and France leading. The US was not involved.
France’s Armed Forces spokesperson Guillaume Vernet told a news conference on Thursday that the process would be multi-phased and could “only take place once the intense phase of the bombing is over.”
There would also eventually need to be coordination with Iran to ensure that there will be security guarantees for ships, Vernet said, something that is unlikely for now.
Talks had also started on what military assets could be provided, he said.
“We will need to assemble a sufficient number of vessels and have coordination capabilities in the air, at sea, as well as the ability to share intelligence,” said Vernet.
About 20,000 seafarers on 200 vessels have been left trapped following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, according to UN.
In a briefing Thursday, the Lloyd’s List Intelligence shipping data firm said there have been 23 direct attacks on commercial vessels in the Persian Gulf, with 11 crew members killed, since the Iran war began on February 28.
What remains of the strait’s maritime traffic is dominated by sanctions-evading tankers carrying Iranian oil, the firm said, adding that a murky operation under which Iran vets who can pass continues to operate as Tehran maintains its chokehold over the waterway.
Commodities carriers have made just 225 crossings of the Strait since March 1, marking a 94-percent decrease on peacetime, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the Iran war right now? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock under difficult conditions to cover this conflict;
Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and emails; and
Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.
So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you'll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
1 Iran, Hezbollah launch attacks as Israelis host Passover Seders, sending millions to shelters
2 Top Hezbollah commander killed in Beirut as IDF presses deeper into Lebanon
3 Influencer performs Nazi salute, mocks Holocaust victims at Ohio University event
4 Trump claims Iran wants truce, but set to say war will last 2-3 more weeks
5 US op to seize Iran’s uranium would take weeks, require building a runway — report
6 Address to the nationTrump declares US ‘nearing completion’ of ‘core strategic objectives’ in Iran war
7 UK police arrest three more suspects in arson attack on Jewish community ambulances
8 AOC signals opposition to all Israel aid, including defensive spending
2026 US-Israel war with Iran