Restoring Free Passage: Macron and Starmer's Mission in Hormuz

French President Macron and British PM Starmer will co-chair a conference in Paris to discuss a defensive mission in the Strait of Hormuz. The mission aims to ensure freedom of navigation. European and international partners are preparing to participate, with the conference open to non-belligerent nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are spearheading an international effort to ensure maritime safety in the Strait of Hormuz. They will co-chair a significant conference in Paris on Friday, focusing on a defensive mission to secure the vital waterway.

This collaborative effort aims to bring together European and other international partners who are ready to support a mission that seeks to restore and secure freedom of navigation. Macron's office emphasized the mission's purely defensive objective and its alignment with international security standards.

In addition to in-person attendees, a number of participants will join the conference via videoconference, reflecting widespread interest and support for the initiative. France and Britain have been coordinating extensively to organize an operation to safely escort oil tankers and container ships through the strait.

(With inputs from agencies.)