France, UK to host talks on securing Strait of Hormuz

France and the United Kingdom are set to host a conference on Friday to discuss a potential mission by Western partners to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The talks in Paris, led by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, are expected to include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with other participants joining remotely.

The United States, Israel and Iran, all directly involved in the conflict, have not been invited.

Participants aim to draw up a multinational plan to safeguard international shipping and restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz once security conditions allow.

Since the outbreak of the Iran war, Tehran has effectively blocked the vital oil transit route through threats and attacks on tankers and cargo vessels, driving up energy prices and weighing on the global economy. Iran has also sought to introduce a toll system for vessels transiting the strait.

Merz is expected to present a concrete offer for German participation. According to government sources, the Bundeswehr, Germany's armed forces, could provide minehunters, an escort ship and aerial surveillance assets for such a mission after the fighting ends, subject to certain conditions.