With the U.S. naval blockade around Iranian ports intensifying and the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to international shipping, Europe took steps Tuesday to form its own multilateral response.
The Elysee Palace announced that French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-host an international videoconference on Friday to bring together countries ready to contribute to a multinational defense mission to protect maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz and impose new sanctions on Iran.
According to a statement from the Elysee Palace, the conference is specifically aimed at countries that are not parties to the conflict but are ready to participate in a defensive mission to restore freedom of navigation through the waterway as soon as security conditions allow. Paris and London emphasized that this initiative differs from Washington’s military stance – the goal is to prepare for the rapid resumption of commercial navigation through the strategic corridor without involving the participating countries in the armed conflict itself.
Wednesday’s preparatory talks
Diplomatic sources said senior diplomats from several countries will hold a preparatory meeting on Wednesday ahead of the leaders’ summit on Friday.
The working sessions will focus on several areas: coordinating new sanctions against Iran, harmonizing international efforts to restore maritime freedom, developing effective economic measures against Tehran if the strait remains closed, and working to secure the release of ships and crew members currently in the region.
The broader picture
The European effort comes against the backdrop of the US blockade of Iranian ports, which has put enormous pressure on global energy markets, effectively paralyzing the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies pass. Some 800 commercial ships, including nearly 400 oil tankers, remain blocked and at least 20,000 sailors cannot safely pass through.
Despite the breakdown of talks in Islamabad last weekend, diplomatic efforts to restart negotiations have continued unabated. Pakistan has offered to hold a second round of Iran-US talks in the coming days. Two Pakistani officials confirmed that the initial talks are part of an ongoing process, while two U.S. officials said Monday that discussions about a new round are ongoing.
A diplomat from one of the mediating countries also confirmed that Tehran and Washington had agreed in principle to resume talks, with Thursday named as a possible date and Islamabad and Geneva being considered as venues.
The conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, has so far resisted all attempts to finally resolve it, but with European powers now mobilizing their own diplomatic structure and Pakistan actively seeking a second round of talks, Tuesday’s developments suggest that the search for a way out is far from over.
