The US and UK will hold a conference in London next week in the hope of assembling an international coalition to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources, including European diplomats, told Axios about the plans.
Defense ministers and top military officials from Western nations are expected to attend, including US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine.
According to Axios, “The US wants to build on discussions that the U.K. and France had with multiple countries in recent months about a potential international coalition for the Strait of Hormuz.”
The US is apparently pushing for allies to “send assets to the region, such as demining vessels, naval vessels and drones to help secure shipping lanes.”
Since the breakdown of peace negotiations between the US and Iran two weeks ago, the US military has been attacking targets along the Strait on an almost daily basis, in an effort to foil Iranian attempts to disrupt shipping.
Before the war began, roughly 20% of the world’s oil and natural-gas exports passed through the Strait.
In the last four days, there have been no Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait, with US officials claiming Iran’s ability to launch attacks on the Strait has been eliminated.
Talks to reopen the Strait and end hostilities have continued.
Talks with Iran are becoming “more serious,” President Trump said on Friday, but a peace deal will not be rushed before the midterm elections.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, President Trump said, “We are talking to them.”
“I think they’re getting more and more serious as the days go by, for maybe the obvious reason, but we are talking to them right now.
“I think they are being by far the most serious that we’ve seen. But that doesn’t mean we get there.”
President Trump added that “sorta everybody”—including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—was now involved in negotiating with Iran.
Meanwhile, it’s been reported that Gulf nations are accelerating their plans to bypass the Strait of Hormuz with new oil pipelines, in a move that could redirect a majority of the oil in the region.
The Associated Press reported on Thursday, “At least seven major pipeline projects are under construction, in the planning stage or being discussed as possibilities, according to government officials, oil companies and analysts. The war has been a wake-up call for Gulf oil producers, who are determined to become less dependent on a transit point that hugs Iran’s coast.”
The pipelines, being built at a cost of billions of dollars, will redirect millions of barrels of oil to ports on the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Mediterranean. They are expected to be operational by 2027.
Although alternative routes present their own difficulties—Yemen’s Houthi rebels have attacked at least two tankers in the Red Sea in recent days—producers in the region have realised that relying on the Strait of Hormuz is “no longer a prudent long-term strategy,” said Victoria Grabenwöger, senior research analyst at data firm Kpler.
Pipelines remain vulnerable to drone and missile attacks.
The pipelines will not alleviate potential disruption to shipments of liquified natural gas (LNG), which is carried by ship. About 20% of the world’s LNG—mostly from Qatar—passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war began.
3 Responses
Come on people, we all should know what this event actually is.
It’s a USA organized event to lobby other countries to fight for Israel.
Like Ross Perot used to say, this is “pure and simple”, that the USA acts as the agent of the zionists.
Why do we bother with that third turd world nation called the uk?
They refused to help at the start AND even a few months back.
The uk is nothing but a mooslum terrorist protecting country.
This is nothing but the continuation of trump selling out the American taxpayers and their dollars to line private enterprises.
Another damn scam.
Just pay pay pay.
There was, and is, no basis for any other country to enter the war and fight for Israel.