France, UK Rally Global Coalition to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

The effort follows the announcement of a U.S.-mediated 10-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (R) with the French President Emmanuel Macron at 10 Downing Street during the French president's state visit to the UK, in London on July 9, 2025. Alberto Pezzali /PA

France and the UK are convening a high-level international summit on April 17 to push for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil artery that has been effectively shut since late February amid the Iran war.

The meeting in Paris, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, brings together representatives from roughly 40 countries. Washington will not be part of the initiative, which is formally known as the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative.