Khaberni - The United Kingdom said today, Thursday, that about 40 countries are discussing adopting joint measures to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and stop Iran from "taking the global economy hostage" after US President Donald Trump said that securing this vital maritime passageway is a problem that other countries need to solve.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper chaired a remote meeting with the participation of France, Germany, Canada, the UAE, and India. Cooper said Iran's "recklessness" in closing the strait "impacts our global economic security."
She added at the beginning of the meeting, in statements conveyed by the media before the rest of the meeting was held without media coverage, "We have witnessed Iran hijacking an international navigation passage and taking the global economy hostage."
An official reported that the United States did not participate in the meeting.
The meeting, which included representatives from about 40 countries, was held after Trump's statement last night, Wednesday, that the strait could be reopened "normally," and that the responsibility for this lies with the countries that depend on it.
European officials said the initial meeting held on Thursday focused on the countries ready to participate in the proposed alliance and the diplomatic and economic options available to persuade Iran to open the strait.
Although the meeting ended without reaching specific agreements, an official clarified that there was a consensus on the need to prevent Iran from imposing transit fees on ships using the waterway, and that all countries should be able to use it freely, according to one of the officials.
The next phase of the talks will witness a meeting of military experts next week to discuss options including potential mine clearance operations and the provision of a security force to reassure commercial navigation.
* Focus on diplomatic and military options
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a passageway for about a fifth of the world's total oil consumption, in response to US-Israeli strikes that started in late February. Reopening this waterway has become a priority for governments around the world as energy prices rise.
European countries initially refused Trump's request to send their navies to the region due to concerns about being dragged into war.
However, concerns about the impact of rising energy costs on the global economy have pushed these countries to try to form a coalition to examine ways to protect their interests.
European diplomats said that the UK and France are leading the formation of the coalition, which is still in its early stages.
Officials noted that today's talks focused on the countries ready to participate.
Cooper said, "We are focusing on diplomatic actions and international planning, including gathering all our diplomatic and economic tools and means of pressure."
The spokesman for the French armed forces said in a press conference today that the operation would be multi-staged and would not start until after calming or ending the fighting.
The talks also focused on a fundamental matter of how to ensure that shipowners feel confident enough to resume transit through the region and to reduce insurance premiums.
The spokesman noted that ultimately, coordination with Iran is also necessary to ensure there are security guarantees for the ships, which is currently not an option.
He mentioned that the conversations also discussed the military assets that could be made available for this purpose.
"We will need to mobilize an adequate number of ships and provide coordinated capabilities in the air and at sea, as well as intelligence-sharing," he said.
The UK announced that it will host a meeting for military planning experts to hold talks next week.
Trump said yesterday, Wednesday, that other countries that use the Strait of Hormuz need to "show some courage that's overdue" and "just seize it."
He added, "Control it, protect it, and use it for yourselves."
However, French President Emmanuel Macron said in remarks made from South Korea today that military control of the strait is an "unrealistic" option.
He added, "It may take a very long time, and anyone who ventures across this strait will be exposed to threats from the Revolutionary Guard and ballistic missiles."
