Foreign ministers from 35 countries will meet on April 2 in a British-led effort to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with the United States, Iran and Oman all absent from the virtual summit chaired by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the Associated Press reported.
The gathering comes after President Trump told countries dependent on Gulf oil to "grab it and cherish it" during his primetime address on April 1, making clear that Washington does not consider securing the waterway its responsibility. Trump has also renewed threats to pull the US out of NATO, accusing the alliance of treating America "very badly."
Signatories to a joint statement include the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the UAE. The group demanded Iran stop its attempts to block the strait and pledged to "contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage."
There have been 23 direct attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf since the war began on February 28, killing 11 crew members, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence. Traffic through the strait has slowed to a trickle, with remaining tanker movements dominated by sanctions-evading vessels carrying Iranian oil.
Lloyd's List said a murky Iranian vetting operation continues to control which ships may pass.
The exclusion of Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the strait from Iran and was named in Tehran's parliamentary toll plan as a potential partner, is notable. Iran's parliament approved measures on March 31 to impose fees on transiting vessels and cooperate with Muscat on managing the waterway.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said military planners from an unspecified number of countries would meet separately to work on securing shipping "after the fighting has stopped." He warned that reopening the strait "will not be easy" and would require "a united front of military strength and diplomatic activity."
David Roberts, reader in Middle East security studies at King's College London, said the initiative was "definitely linked to the wider Trumpian antagonism toward NATO" and represented Britain and France "trying to lead the way, to very visibly show a certain sort of utility" to Washington.
He noted the US is an oil exporter and faces less immediate pressure from the Gulf energy blockade than Europe and Asia.
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