The UK and France will host a summit to discuss setting up a naval force that would ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as Europe seeks to rebut US claims that it’s not doing enough to secure the waterway.
The so-called Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative would be “strictly defensive in nature,” the UK said in a statement — underscoring how European leaders have no intention to help force a reopening of the Strait as President Donald Trump has demanded.
“The unconditional and immediate reopening of the Strait is a global responsibility, and we need to act to get global energy and trade flowing freely again,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. The initiative would go into effect “as soon as conditions allow,” the UK said.
Starmer said the summit will include about 40 nations. The initiative would be coupled with insurance industry support and back efforts to clear mines in the strait.
The deployment of such a mission remains far off given that European leaders have said they want to wait for the US and Iran to agree to a longer-term agreement to end a conflict that began with US and Israeli strikes in late February.
The Hormuz strait has remained effectively shut since the war began. Iran was initially responsible for the halt and the US followed with its own blockade of ships leaving or entering Iranian ports on Monday.
The European initiative may not go far enough to satisfy Trump, who has mocked NATO — and Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron individually — over what he’s called a refusal to help the US confront Iran. He’s also demanded that other countries “build up some delayed courage” and “go to the strait and just take it.”
Trump on Thursday said prospects for a deal with Iran are “looking very good” and claimed Tehran was willing to make key concessions to extend a truce ahead of its expiration next week. Some Arab and European leaders believe his assessment is overly optimistic and that it will take about six months for a peace deal to be agreed, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.
Read More: US-Iran Deal Will Take Months, Gulf and Europe Officials Say
The Paris meeting will be followed by a military planning summit in England next week and coupled with discussions with the insurance industry. Commercial shippers for weeks have expressed doubts that the strait could be made safe for passage until the conflict is fully resolved.
Britain is considering deploying autonomous mine-hunting systems, while France has deployed an aircraft carrier and several warships to the region.
Photograph: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer; photo credit: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
Copyright 2026 Bloomberg.
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