LONDON/PARIS – In a bold virtual summit chaired by British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper on April 2, representatives from about 40 nations, including France, Germany, Canada, the UAE, and India, plotted unified steps to pry open the Strait of Hormuz, slamming Iran’s blockade as a reckless bid to choke the global economy.
Cooper lambasted Tehran for hijacking the vital artery that funnels one-fifth of the world’s oil, warning of pain rippling to households and businesses worldwide. The closed-door talks zeroed in on diplomatic pressures and economic levers to force Iran’s hand, forging consensus that no transit fees should snare ships and free passage must prevail for all. No firm pacts emerged, but military planners convene next week to eye mine-sweeping ops and escort fleets for tankers.
The push follows US President Donald Trump’s April 1 shrug-off, urging oil-dependent powers to muster “delayed courage” and seize the strait themselves, a stance Europe dodged amid fears of entanglement in the US-Israeli strikes that sparked Iran’s February retaliation. Energy prices have skyrocketed, nudging wary Europeans, led by Britain and France, toward a naval coalition sans Uncle Sam.
France’s armed forces spokesman Guillaume Vernet outlined a phased blueprint: halt hostilities first, then assure shippers to slash sky-high insurance, coordinate intel, air-sea assets, and even security nods from Iran down the line. President Emmanuel Macron dismissed outright seizure as “unrealistic,” citing endless timelines and threats from Revolutionary Guards’ missiles and coastal ambushes. As coalition gears grind, the strait standoff tests global resolve against Tehran’s high-seas gambit.