Toward an alliance to secure Hormuz: meeting of the chiefs of staff of 35 countries
The chiefs of staff of the armed forces of 35 countries met via videoconference to form an alliance aimed at “resuming navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after the cessation of hostilities.”
This was announced by the Ministère des Armées in a statement released on Thursday, noting that the meeting, “organized by the Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces,” “made it possible to record the positions of states willing to participate in a coordinated initiative intended to strengthen maritime navigation security in this strategic area.”
The statement clarified that this initiative “has no connection with the ongoing military operations in the region” and is “purely defensive in nature,” reiterating the position of many countries that expressed readiness to work toward securing the strait while refusing to be associated with the American and Israeli attacks.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence told the Agence France-Presse that London and Paris would organize a meeting this week bringing together the countries that signed a statement issued last week calling for an end to attacks on oil and gas infrastructure in the Gulf.
Last week, the Government of the United Kingdom, the Government of France, the Government of Germany, the Government of Italy, the Government of Japan, and the Government of the Netherlands announced their willingness to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” after which 24 other countries endorsed the statement.
British media outlets, including The Guardian and The Times, reported that London proposed hosting a later international conference in Portsmouth or London on the security of the Strait of Hormuz to form a coalition of countries committed to this mission.
Since the outbreak of war following strikes carried out by Israel and the United States against Iran on February 28, Tehran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil production, as well as liquefied natural gas, normally passes.
This has led to a sharp rise in fuel prices and has affected the global economy.
