French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-host an international video conference to ensure safe passage in the Strait of Hormuz.
On the 14th (local time), the Élysée Palace announced the meeting would be held on the 17th and said it is aimed at countries ready to contribute to a "purely defensive mission," and is scheduled to discuss plans to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
A Spokesperson for the British prime minister's office also said, "This meeting will advance coordinated and independent multinational planning efforts to protect international shipping after the conflict ends."
Earlier, the United Kingdom and France maintained that instead of actively intervening in the Iran war, they could carry out defensive missions in the Strait of Hormuz once the fighting stops.
On the 26th of last month, chiefs of defense from 35 countries held a video conference chaired by the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of France, and on the 2nd of this month, foreign ministers from about 40 countries, led by the United Kingdom, sought ways to reopen the Strait of Hormuz through a video conference; this time, the two countries appear set to co-host yet another meeting.
In addition, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern time on the 13th, the U.S. military launched what it called a "reverse blockade" of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which is also interpreted as an indirect signal of an intention not to take part.
The United States will not attend this meeting, and China and India were invited, but their participation was reported to be uncertain.
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that European countries are pushing a multinational cooperation plan, including military assets such as minesweepers, to resume vessel operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Through this, European countries aim to support the movement of ships stuck in the strait, remove large-scale mines, and provide regular military escorts and surveillance, and the possibility of Germany's participation—long cautious about overseas military involvement—was also reportedly mentioned.