France and Britain to Lead Multinational Mission in Strait of Hormuz

France and the United Kingdom will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz "as soon as conditions allow." The announcement was made on Friday, April 17, by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron following an international conference on the security of the vital waterway held in Paris.

"This mission will be exclusively peaceful and defensive in nature, aimed at ensuring the safety of commercial shipping and supporting mine clearance," stated Starmer during a joint press conference at the Élysée Palace. He added that more than a dozen countries have already offered their assistance.

Military planning experts are scheduled to discuss the operation's details in London next week. The summit, initiated by the British and French leaders, was also attended by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with around 50 other world leaders and heads of international organizations participating online.

Chancellor Merz expressed Germany's readiness to participate in securing the Strait. He cited potential tasks such as mine clearance and maritime reconnaissance. However, he outlined several preconditions for deploying forces: primarily, an end to the war in the Middle East, a reliable legal basis such as a UN Security Council resolution, and preferably U.S. Involvement in the mission.

The conference participants welcomed recent de-escalation steps, including a declared 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon involving Iran-backed Hezbollah and Iran's temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. While these developments offer hope, continued caution is necessary, President Macron noted.

"We all demand the full, immediate, and unconditional opening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties," Macron emphasized.

The leaders agreed that while the temporary opening for commercial vessels during the Lebanese truce is a step in the right direction, freedom of navigation must be permanently restored on this key oil trade route. Chancellor Merz stressed that any opening must be "reliable" and "permanent," implemented in full compliance with international maritime law without any restrictions.

Prime Minister Starmer echoed this sentiment on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), stating that any agreement between Iran and others on reopening the waterway must be "a long lasting and workable solution."

The announcements from Paris coincided with statements from U.S. President Donald Trump and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirming the Strait's temporary opening for commercial shipping during Lebanon's ceasefire. However, President Trump clarified that America's blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a broader agreement with Iran is reached. Following these developments, global oil prices fell significantly.