36 Countries Gather to Pressure for the Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

SadaNews - Approximately 36 countries are meeting today, Thursday, in an attempt to exert diplomatic and political pressure to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping corridor that has been disrupted due to the US-Israeli war against Iran.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the virtual meeting, chaired by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, "will assess all possible diplomatic and political measures that can be taken to restore freedom of navigation, ensure the safety of stranded vessels and sailors, and resume the movement of vital goods."

Iranian attacks on commercial ships and the threat of further assaults have led to a near-total halt in maritime traffic through the channel that connects the Gulf to the rest of the world's oceans, effectively closing a crucial route for global oil flow and sharply increasing crude prices.

The United States will not participate in Thursday’s meeting. US President Donald Trump previously stated that securing the Strait of Hormuz "is not America's mission," urging US allies to "go get their own oil."

No country seems willing to attempt to forcibly open the strait amidst ongoing fighting and Iran's ability to target vessels using anti-ship missiles, drones, assault boats, and naval mines. However, Starmer mentioned on Wednesday that military planners from an unspecified number of countries will soon meet to discuss ways to ensure the security of navigation "after the fighting stops."