More than 40 countries form a multinational alliance to safeguard Hormuz Strait security

More than 40 countries agreed in an online meeting hosted by the United Kingdom on Thursday (2/4) to launch a multinational alliance aimed at restoring safe and sustainable freedom of navigation through the Hormuz Strait after clashes between the US, Israel and Iran subsided.

Alliance aims to reopen Hormuz using diplomatic and economic tools

The meeting was chaired by the UK. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the alliance would marshal diplomatic and economic tools to reopen the strait safely and sustainably, warning that “Iran has blocked an international shipping lane and is using this to pressure the global economy.” She highlighted the risk of significant disruption to gas, aviation fuel and fertilizer supplies, which she said would push up living costs.

Cooper said the alliance would coordinate diplomatic and economic tools to restore navigation through the Hormuz Strait, which currently operates under a toll regime directly controlled by Iran. One potential measure under consideration is imposing additional sanctions on Iranian authorities.

She also said military planners would consider security support measures as tensions ease, including mine clearance and vessel escorting.

Calls for humanitarian corridor and toll-free navigation

The Italian Foreign Ministry said representatives of Italy, the Netherlands and the UAE called for a “humanitarian corridor” through Hormuz to ensure continued fertilizer shipments and prevent a food crisis.

EU foreign-policy chief Kaja Kallas attended the meeting on behalf of the EU and said attacks on civil vessels—and the risk of similar incidents—had nearly paralyzed traffic through Hormuz. Kallas underscored that restoring safe, open, toll-free navigation in line with international law is an urgent priority.

No joint statement; focus on assessing the situation

The online meeting was intended mainly to assess the situation and present a unified stance rather than make concrete deployment decisions. No joint statement was issued after the meeting.

Meanwhile, Bahrain was preparing to submit to the UN Security Council a draft resolution on protecting maritime traffic through Hormuz. The move could open the door for broader international engagement while the conflict remains unresolved.

Reuters reported that the draft amendment removed a compulsory-enforcement mechanism and instead opened the possibility for states to apply “every measure necessary in the circumstances” to ensure safe passage through Hormuz.

Hormuz’s strategic importance and risk factors

The Hormuz Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, normally handling about one-fifth of global oil and gas trades. However, the shallow seabed and surrounding geography allow Iran to deploy military measures such as missiles, drones and other attacks, contributing to high risk and making many shipowners and insurers hesitate to sail through.

US stance and allied differences

The United States did not participate in the online alliance meeting on 2/4. Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the G7 communique, stressing the necessity of long-term safe and tariff-free freedom of navigation at Hormuz, though no concrete commitments were made.

After the G7 summit in France, Rubio framed reopening the strait as essential in the post-conflict period, but Trump later signaled a different approach, urging allies to “learn to fight for themselves” without US support. Trump has also criticized NATO allies for not wanting to send naval forces to the conflict zone.

In a national address on Wednesday, Trump urged countries to “show some courage” to restore freedom of navigation through Hormuz, arguing that countries benefiting from Hormuz’s oil flow should protect the route themselves. He said Iran has been weakened significantly and that “the hardest part” may be over.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron did not embrace Trump’s call and warned that attempting to control Hormuz by military means is “impractical,” arguing that such an approach would be time-consuming and would expose vessels to risks from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and ballistic missiles.