UK, France ready multinational mission to secure Strait of Hormuz

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - LONDON — Britain and France announced late Friday that they are prepared to deploy a multinational military mission to help secure navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, despite repeated Iranian warnings against a foreign military presence in the strategic waterway.

"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement. "Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the strait is a matter of global concern."

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The two leaders said Oman has agreed to cooperate with London and Paris to help ensure safe passage through its sovereign territorial waters.

They added that the United Kingdom and France stand ready to lead a broader multinational military mission aimed at supporting freedom of navigation in the area.

"The United Kingdom and France reaffirm their shared commitment to regional stability, respect for the sovereignty of all states, and their willingness to maintain close cooperation with their partners in order to uphold global security, freedom of navigation and international law," the statement said.

The announcement comes amid heightened tensions with Tehran, which has repeatedly rejected any foreign involvement in maritime operations in the Strait of Hormuz and warned extra-regional powers against deploying military forces there.

Iranian officials have consistently maintained that responsibility for securing the strategic waterway rests exclusively with the states bordering the strait.