From the Liveblog of
Monday, April 13, 2026
Macron confirms conference with UK to examine possible defensive naval mission for Hormuz
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleNava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.
France and the United Kingdom will organize a conference in the coming days for countries seeking to establish a “strictly defensive” and “peaceful” mission aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid Iran’s efforts to block it, French President Emmanuel Macron says in a post on X.
No effort must be spared to swiftly reach, through diplomatic means, a strong and lasting settlement to the conflict in the Middle East.
Such a settlement must provide the region with a robust framework enabling all to live in peace and security.…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) April 13, 2026
“As regards the Strait of Hormuz, in the coming days, together with the United Kingdom, we will organize a conference with those countries prepared to contribute alongside us to a peaceful multinational mission aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait,” writes Macron.
“This strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict, is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit,” Macron adds.
Macron’s statement comes shortly after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain will not join the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced yesterday by US President Donald Trump.
The UK led a similar conference earlier this month, and British officials told news outlets in recent days that another round of talks would soon follow.
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