Belgium announced on Monday it would join a coalition to ensure free passage through the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the Iran war.
“We are working together with France and all other willing partners to achieve this strategic goal once conditions in the region will allow for it, such as a ceasefire,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said. “Freedom of navigation is essential for our security and economic stability.”
It appears to be the first public announcement from a state joining a French-led initiative to bring together dozens of nations in a “day after” naval force. This would provide convoy and other patrols to restore confidence to shipping on the Strait of Hormuz.
About 35 states took part last week in what French authorities described as a “technical” meeting but the list of participants was not made public.
France has stressed the mission would only take place “once the core of hostilities had sufficiently subsided”.
“This initiative is entirely separate from the approach taken by the United States of America and remains in a defensive posture,” a representative for the chief of staff of the French armed forces said.
About a fifth of the world’s oil moves through the shipping lanes of the strait each day and Iran has allowed a handful of vessels, thought to use a so-called Tehran Tollbooth, passage in the past week.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted a shipping, energy and insurance meeting in Downing Street on Monday.
The senior leaders from the sectors met government officials and representatives from the UK’s military “to discuss the conflict in Iran and the impact on the Strait of Hormuz”. It is believed Maj Gen Richard Cantrill, commander of UK Maritime Operations, talked through options in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Middle East.
Business is keen on a return to freedom of navigation to reduce costs and avoid shortages.
Mr Starmer told executives there must be a “joint effort” to tackle the impact of the war in Iran, saying “the government can’t do it on its own”.
An online G7 meeting of energy and finance ministers, alongside central bank governors pledged to close the gap of oil output in the global market. A joint statement said that “G7 central banks are strongly committed to maintaining price stability, and to ensuring the continued resilience of the financial system.” Participants also reaffirmed “the importance of secure and uninterrupted trade flows”.
The IMF said on Monday that the war in the Middle East is having an uneven impact on global economies but “all roads” lead to higher prices and slower economic growth.
President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure if no deal was reached to end the war, making the Hormuz Strait immediately “open for business”.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky promised during a Middle East tour that his country's expertise could be tapped open the Strait of Hormuz.
“We discussed it in detail,” he said. “We shared expertise on our Black Sea corridor and the way it operates.”
