‘De-escalation’: Europe hesitates as US pushes for Hormuz naval mission

Europe hesitates as US pushes for Hormuz naval coalition

The United States has spent months trying to forge an international naval coalition to escort vessels through the embattled Strait of Hormuz, but Washington's European allies, including the United Kingdom and France, appear reluctant to move forward, according to Al Jazeera.

The hesitation comes even as ongoing disruption in the vital waterway strains the global economy, with about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas usually flowing through the strait.

The US first raised the idea of an international maritime coalition to secure shipping in March, as President Donald Trump called on allies, as well as China, to send warships as part of the effort. Most countries initially declined or were noncommittal, though the UK and France left the door open to participating.

US officials continued to promote the idea as the war against Iran dragged on, with Trump lambasting allies for what he deemed insufficient support. In mid-April, then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans for the UK and France to lead an international mission to secure shipping in the strait.

However, analysts say the stalled coalition effort reflects deep caution among European governments about becoming entangled in an unpredictable conflict they neither initiated nor supported, particularly without clear backing from Gulf partners.

"Neither UK nor France has much appetite for being drawn into a confrontation with Iran on behalf of others, particularly if there is no clear regional demand for it," HA Hellyer, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and Center for American Progress, told Al Jazeera.

The US insists that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and that there should be free, unfettered passage as per international law. Iran, for its part, has sought to shore up control over the waterway and direct vessels to pass through routes it approves.

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said an understanding with Oman over a new protocol for managing traffic in Hormuz was "on the verge of being finalised," according to Al Jazeera.

Key Claims

• The US has spent months trying to forge an international naval coalition to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
• European allies, including the UK and France, are reluctant to move forward with the coalition.
• The UK and France previously agreed to head the mission in the event of a sustainable truce.
• The US insists that Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz and that there should be free, unfettered passage as per international law.
• Iran has sought to shore up control over the waterway and direct vessels to pass through routes it approves.
• About one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas usually flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said an understanding with Oman over a new protocol for managing traffic in Hormuz was "on the verge of being finalised."