UK & FRANCE SEEKING TO BUILD COALITION – They plan to hold discussions on restoring shipping through Hormuz
Britain and France will co-host virtual talks on Friday aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including discussions on what French President Emmanuel Macron described as a possible strictly defensive naval mission.
The talks are intended to bring together Britain, France and other countries willing to join a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait.
Any mission to do so will have to be done in coordination with Iran to avoid the possibility of conflict breaking out again, Middle East analyst Dorothee Schmid said on Tuesday.
Tensions in the Gulf have intensified after the United States said it would begin a blockade of maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, while Iran has effectively shut the strait, a route that carries about a fifth of the world’s oil consumption.
