- The United Kingdom announced plans to host a virtual meeting of about 35 countries to address the closure of the Strait of Hormuz
- The talks will focus on restoring safe navigation, protecting seafarers, and resuming global energy supply chains
- Key global players in the meeting including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands have pledged support
The United Kingdom is set to host a virtual meeting involving about 35 nations on Thursday, April 2, to deliberate on reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which has been severely disrupted by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the initiative on Wednesday, April 1, noting that the meeting would bring together key global stakeholders to address the crisis.
A UK official confirmed that the discussions would be held virtually.
According to Starmer, the session will be led by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Speaking during a Downing Street briefing, he stated that the talks aim to “assess all viable diplomatic and political measures that we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and resume the movement of vital commodities.”
He further revealed that military planners would be engaged after the diplomatic talks.
“Following that meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped,” he added.
Countries expected to participate include France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Netherlands, all of which have endorsed a joint statement expressing readiness “to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
The waterway has been effectively shut by Iran following the outbreak of hostilities triggered by US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
The disruption has sent global oil and gas prices soaring, given that roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the strait.
“I do have to level with people on this. This (reopening) will not be easy,” Starmer cautioned.
The UK leader also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to NATO amid renewed criticism from former US President Donald Trump.
“NATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen, and it has kept us safe for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO,” Starmer said.
Trump, however, took a contrasting position in remarks published by The Telegraph, describing NATO as a “paper tiger.”
When asked whether he would reconsider US membership, he responded: “Oh yes, I would say (it’s) beyond reconsideration.”
He had earlier warned in an interview with the Financial Times that it would be “very bad for the future of NATO” if member states failed to assist in reopening the critical shipping route.
On Tuesday, March 31, Trump also stated that countries facing fuel shortages but not involved in the conflict should “go get your own oil” in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US would not intervene on their behalf.