UK and France convene meeting to reopen Strait of Hormuz

The UK and France are jointly hosting a two-day conference convening military officials from more than 30 countries in a bid to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.

IMAGE: Strait of Hormuz. Getty Images

Military planners from more than 30 nations are present at UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in North London for the conference scheduled to end later today.

“Military planners will turn diplomatic consensus into a detailed military plan for the Strait when hostilities end,” the UK’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The conference comes shortly after US President Donald Trump extended the US-Iran ceasefire “indefinitely” – until the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran conclude “one way or the other.”

Expectations of US-Iran talks resuming yesterday were dampened after US Vice President JD Vance’s planned trip to Pakistan – which hosted earlier negotiations – was put on hold, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Meanwhile, Trump said the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would remain in place—a move Tehran has labelled an act of war.

There are no signs of a concrete de-escalation in the hostilities as of this moment, market analysts said.

“The sessions will advance military plans to reopen the Strait, as soon as conditions permit, following a sustainable ceasefire agreement,” the UK government said in a statement.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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