Over 40 countries launched on Thursday a coalition to secure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping lane for energy exports, once the hot phase of the war between the United States, Israel and Iran comes to an end.
The group includes countries from across the globe, reflecting the worldwide impact of the economic shock caused by the waterway's near-total closure.
The inaugural meeting was hosted virtually by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and took place amid US President Donald Trump's mounting pressure on European allies to help reopen the vital strait, where thousands of ships remain trapped.
"We have seen Iran hijack an international shipping route to hold the global economy hostage," Cooper said in her introductory remarks, warning of crippling disruptions on gas, jet fuels, fertilisers and the overall cost of living.
The multinational coalition, she said, will pursue the "collective mobilisation of our full range of diplomatic and economic tools" to enable a "safe and sustained opening" of Hormuz, which is currently subject to a toll system under Tehran's direct control. One of these tools could be fresh economic sanctions on the Iranian regime.
In parallel, Cooper added, military planners will explore ways to marshal defence capabilities, including demining and escorting, "once the conflict eases".
The representatives from Italy, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued a joint call for a "humanitarian corridor" to safeguard the shipping of fertilisers and prevent a food crisis, according to the Italian foreign ministry.
High Representative Kaja Kallas took part in the call on behalf of the European Union.
"Iranian attacks on civilian ships, and the threat of more, have brought traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to a near halt. This is why restoring safe, toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait, consistent with the Law of the Sea, is an urgent priority," Kallas said ahead of the call. "The EU supports all diplomatic efforts to achieve this."
The virtual gathering was primarily devoted to assessing the situation and closing ranks, rather than taking operational decisions. No joint statement was issued.
It comes as Bahrain prepares to table a United Nations Security Council resolution on protecting commercial shipping across the waterway, which could pave the way for an intervention during the hot phase of the conflict.
According to Reuters, the revised text has dropped an explicit reference to binding enforcement and now seeks to authorise states, alone or together, to use "all necessary means commensurate with the circumstances" to enable safe transit.
'Build up some delayed courage'
The Strait of Hormuz is a vital shipping lane carrying a fifth of the world's oil, gas and jet fuel supplies in normal conditions. Its geography is complex: shallow waters and high terrain favour Iran's warfare tactics, including missiles, drones and missiles. Vessels that dare cross face multiple risks that neither owners nor insurers are willing to tolerate.
Ensuring safe navigation through Hormuz has been a persistent demand from President Donald Trump, who says the high-risk operation should be carried out not by the US but by countries that depend on oil and gas from the Middle East.
Trump, in particular, has lashed out at NATO allies for refusing to send their warships to the midst of an armed conflict, even if Europe only receives a limited amount of its energy imports from the region. The continent, however, is being hard hit by the ripple effects in the markets, with oil and gas soaring to alarming levels.
On Wednesday, the US president delivered an address to the nation that called on other nations to "build up some delayed courage" and restore free navigation.
"The countries of the world that do receive oil through the Hormuz Straight must take care of that passage. They must cherish it. They must grab it and cherish it. They could do it easily," Trump said in the speech.
"Go to the strait and just take it, protect it, use it for yourselves. Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done, so it should be easy."
The US did not participate in Thursday's virtual meeting.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed up to a G7 statement that underlined the "absolute necessity to permanently restore safe and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz", without making specific commitments.
After departing the G7 meeting in France, Rubio described the operation to reopen the waterway as a "post-conflict necessity". But Trump soon contradicted the assertion, urging allies to "start learning how to fight for yourself" without American aid.
French President Emmanuel Macron pushed back against Trump's pressure, warning that attempting to secure the narrow passage by military force was "unrealistic".
"It would take forever, and would expose all those who go through the Strait to risks from the Revolutionary Guards but also ballistic missiles," Macron said on Thursday.
"This is not a show," he added, when asked about Trump's criticism of NATO allies. "We're talking about war and peace. Let's be serious."
This article has been updated.
