Anonymousabout 2 hours ago
France and the UK are co-hosting a 40-nation conference to plan a "purely defensive" multinational mission to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed since Iran's IRGC blocked shipping in late February 2026 following the US-Israeli air campaign. The initiative represents a striking break from Washington — which imposed its own blockade and declined responsibility for reopening the strait — and raises questions about European strategic autonomy, the risks of naval escalation in confined waters, and the economic exposure of Asian economies that depend on the strait for up to 75% of their oil imports.