The British government announced that the UK and France will host a multinational meeting of defense ministers on Tuesday to coordinate military plans and efforts seeking to safeguarding commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Arab News.
Military Plans
“The Defense Secretary John Healey will co-chair a meeting of over 40 nations, alongside his French counterpart, Minister Catherine Vautrin, for the multinational mission’s first Defense Minister’s meeting,” a British Defense Ministry statement said Sunday.
The meeting was announced just hours after Iran warned both London and Paris against deploying warships to the region.
The virtual talks followed a significant meeting that brought together military planners in London for two days in April to hammer out the operational details of a UK- and France-led multinational mission aimed at securing navigation through the strait amid the ongoing ceasefire.
“We are turning diplomatic agreement into practical military plans to restore confidence for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Healey said.
France has already deployed its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, to the region, while Britain unveiled on Saturday that it would dispatch the destroyer HMS Dragon.
At the same time, both governments said the deployments amounted to “pre-positioning” ahead of any potential international mission aimed at safeguarding commercial shipping routes.
In response, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, warned Britain and France that their warships “or those of any other country” would meet “a decisive and immediate response.”
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The adversaries remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran tightens its control over maritime traffic while the United States continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports.
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