Six countries – the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Japan – have announced their readiness to help ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Government of the United Kingdom published this in a joint statement on its website.
What the Countries Said
The leaders of the six nations condemned Iran for attacks on civilian targets and commercial vessels and stressed the need to stop them.
“We stress that such interference in international shipping and disruption of global energy supply chains pose a threat to international peace and security.”
They also called for an immediate moratorium on attacks against civilian infrastructure, including energy facilities.
The statement does not specify the format of participation, but the countries confirmed their readiness to:
- contribute to maritime security;
- work toward stabilizing energy markets;
- cooperate with producer countries to increase energy output.
France’s Initiative via the UN
Emmanuel Macron said that Paris is considering options to unblock the strait through mechanisms of the United Nations.
“We have begun assessing the situation, and in the coming days we will see whether this has a chance of success.”
This could include a potential United Nations Security Council resolution and the creation of an international security mechanism.
Context
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical route for global energy, with about 20% of the world’s oil supply passing through it. Amid the conflict involving Iran, traffic through the strait has effectively been blocked.
This has already led to:
- a sharp rise in gas prices in Europe;
- strikes on energy infrastructure in the region, including in Qatar;
- risks to global supply chains.
Ahead of the US-Israeli strike on Iran, Donald Trump and his advisers underestimated risks to energy markets. They viewed a potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and disruption to commercial shipping as a short-term issue that would not interfere with the military operation.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Trump called on countries to help reopen the strait for tankers, warning that a blockade could hit the global economy.
