New York: Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday his country and France would lead a “defensive” mission to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the mission would be “strictly peaceful” and ensure the Strait should not have tolls and must remain completely free.
Starmer was speaking at a news conference as representatives of about 50 countries met in person and virtually on free access for shipping through the Strait.
India was invited, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed, adding that information about the country’s role and participation in the meeting would be released later.
The closure of the Strait, through which 20 per cent of the world’s fossil fuel travels, has hit the global economy hard. Starmer said there would be a follow-up meeting next week in London to work out the modalities.
US President Donald Trump, who had complained about allies and countries using the Strait not working to keep it open, spurned the Britain-France initiative.
He posted on Truth Social: “I received a call from NATO asking if we would need some help. I TOLD THEM TO STAY AWAY, UNLESS THEY JUST WANT TO LOAD UP THEIR SHIPS WITH OIL. They were useless when needed, a Paper Tiger”!
Iran’s announcement that the Strait would be open to commercial traffic during the ceasefire caught leaders in Paris by surprise.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi announced on X that the Strait was “completely open,” and Trump confirmed it with a “Thank You” post. But Trump also said that the US blockade of Iranian ports would continue.
In another post, he said that “Iran, with the help of the USA, has removed, or is removing, all sea mines”! There was no confirmation of that from Tehran.
Araghchi linked the opening of the Strait to the Lebanon-Israel ceasefire that came into force on Thursday, but Trump said it was not.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron said the countries at the Paris meeting demanded “full immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties”. They opposed any attempt to privatise the Strait or to impose tolls on ships passing through it.
Iran was reported to have charged fees to let ships through, and Trump has spoken of joint US-Iran control of the Strait.
Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who were at the news conference alongside Starmer and Macron, said their countries would contribute to the peaceful patrol.
(IANS)
