UK and France: Creating a coalition to secure Hormuz

(Patria) - The United Kingdom and France are working on forming a coalition of countries that should secure the Strait of Hormuz, one of the key routes for global oil trade, British defense officials said today, as reported by the BBC.

London has offered to organize a security conference in Portsmouth or London in the near future, where concrete plans would be developed. Officials state that any mission would require the participation of multiple navies to ensure the security of merchant ships. They also emphasize that any potential escort of tankers would depend on the level of threat, which is currently too high.

The plans include a multinational solution using conventional and autonomous vessels to ensure safe passage and remove the threat of mines. One defense official said he believes reports of mine-laying are accurate, but added that the shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz remain open and a small number of tankers continue to pass through them.