The United Kingdom has convened a high-level meeting involving around 40 countries to address the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, after President Donald Trump said that the war on Iran will continue and the strait will remain closed. Oil prices jumped with his announcement.
The talks, held online via video-conference, led by the British government, focused on safeguarding maritime navigation and ensuring the continued flow of global oil supplies through the narrow passage, which handles a significant portion of the world’s energy exports. The meeting comes amid growing fears that ongoing hostilities involving Iran could disrupt shipping routes and trigger a wider economic shock.
Officials discussed the possibility of coordinated naval deployments and enhanced security arrangements aimed at deterring further attacks on commercial vessels in the region. The British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Yvette Cooper condemned Iran’s recklessness in the ongoing war and accused it of hijacking a global shipping route while posing a direct threat to global prosperity. New sanctions on Iran are being considered if Iran keeps the Strait of Hormuz closed or imposes a shipping toll on passage through the strait.
France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, India, Japan, South Korea and Canada were present for the meeting. The US did not send a representative.
The position of the UK, France, and other European countries is that they would only consider participating in policing the Strait once hostilities have ceased. France has also reportedly objected to a request by three Arab states to issue a statement at the UN Security Council that could be interpreted as authorising the use of force in the ongoing conflict.
You can read the official UK government statement here.
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