European leaders outline separate “defensive” strategy as tensions rise following U.S. naval action and failed Iran talks.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The governments of United Kingdom and France announced plans to pursue an independent maritime strategy in the Strait of Hormuz, declining to support the U.S.-led naval blockade ordered by Donald Trump.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the two countries will co-host a summit this week to coordinate a multinational plan aimed at restoring civilian shipping through the critical waterway.
“This week the UK and France will co-host a summit to advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends,” Starmer said in a post on X on April 13, adding that “the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is deeply damaging. Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also outlined the proposal, describing it as a “strictly defensive” effort intended to restore maritime access without aligning with active combat operations.
“This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit,” Macron said, adding that the objective is to restore freedom of navigation in the strait.
The announcements come after the United States Navy began enforcing a blockade at 10 a.m. ET on April 13, following the collapse of U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan over the weekend. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of blockading any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
U.S. Central Command later clarified that the blockade targets vessels entering or exiting Iranian ports, stating in a post on X that “CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”
Iranian officials responded with warnings of escalation. Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, said the blockade would be treated as a military action and could provoke retaliation.
“It would be considered a military operation, and we will respond; it complicates the current situation he’s already in and further unsettles the market that’s furious about it,” Rezaei said, adding that Iran could reveal “other cards we haven’t played in this game.”
The Iranian military also warned that no port in the Persian Gulf or Gulf of Oman would remain secure if the blockade proceeds.
At the same time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced support for the U.S. action, calling it a “strong stance” against Iran.
Iranian leadership has signaled plans to assert greater control over the waterway. Mojtaba Khamenei stated in an April 9 post that Iran would move to a “new phase” of managing the strait, while officials have proposed requiring transit fees to be paid in Iran’s national currency, the rial.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, with roughly 20 percent of global seaborne oil and liquefied natural gas passing through it. Tankers from Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran rely on the route for access to global markets.
Shipping traffic has declined sharply since the conflict began, with marine tracking data indicating approximately 40 commercial vessels have transited the strait since the April 7 ceasefire—well below the prewar daily average of 100 to 135 ships.
Energy markets reacted quickly to the U.S. blockade announcement. Brent crude oil rose about 7 percent to $102.29 per barrel and was trading at $101.89 as of 9:20 a.m. ET on April 13, compared to less than $70 per barrel in mid-February.
Vice President JD Vance, who led the U.S. delegation in talks with Iran, said negotiations failed after Tehran declined to commit to abandoning nuclear weapons development.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the United Kingdom is leading a coalition effort to align military, political, and economic tools to ensure free passage through the strait, describing it as evidence of a broader strategic shift.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the current 14-day ceasefire could be extended by 45 to 60 days to allow further negotiations.
As competing strategies emerge between the United States and European allies, uncertainty remains over how maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz will be managed amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
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