US not part of France- and UK-led talks on a post-war Hormuz maritime force, but Europe’s role remains limited.Published On 17 Apr 202617 Apr 2026France and the United Kingdom are convening dozens of countries to advance plans for a multinational maritime force to secure the Strait of Hormuz, but Washington is not part of the discussions.The meeting is taking place at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on Friday, chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, with about 30 to 40 countries participating in person or by video conference.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listGerman Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni are also attending in person, but the full list of attendees has not been disclosed.The talks will focus on what has been formally branded the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative, a defensive mission to restore free passage through the waterway once a lasting ceasefire in the US-Israel war on Iran is in place.The strait has been closed since Iran imposed a blockade after the US and Israel launched their war on February 28. A fifth of the world’s oil usually passes through the chokepoint. The US has since compounded the disruption by imposing its own blockade on Iranian ports.European leaders warned that the ongoing closure threatened consumers with higher inflation, food shortages, and flight cancellations as jet fuel supplies ran thin. More than 20,000 seafarers were trapped on board hundreds of vessels caught in the blockade.‘Strictly defensive’“The unconditional and immediate reopening of the strait is a global responsibility, and we …
