Britain and France will co-host virtual talks on Friday (17 April) to ease tensions and restore safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes.
The discussions, led in part by Emmanuel Macron, aim to bring together a group of countries willing to support what officials describe as a peaceful multinational effort.
At the centre of the proposal is a strictly defensive naval mission to protect commercial vessels moving through the narrow waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly a fifth of global oil consumption, making any disruption a serious concern for international markets.
Tensions in the Gulf have escalated sharply after the U.S. announced plans to impose a blockade on maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports. In response, Iran has effectively closed access to the strait, raising fears of a wider confrontation.
Middle East analyst Dorothée Schmid said any effort to reopen the route would require careful coordination with Tehran to avoid further escalation.
She warned that the talks were unlikely to deliver immediate results, describing the current situation as a standoff, with neither side fully able to enforce a complete blockade.
“Everyone is watching which ships manage to pass through,” she said, noting that while Iran has not imposed a total closure, the U.S. also lacks the capacity to completely seal the entrance.
Schmid also pointed out that the absence of the U.S. from the planned talks suggests participating countries are trying to position themselves as neutral actors, distancing the initiative from the broader conflict.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the talks will be structured around four main working groups:
A second diplomatic source confirmed the same priorities, underlining the urgency of restoring stability in a region vital to global trade.
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Latvia is strengthening its anti-drone capabilities along its borders with Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus after several drones entered the NATO member’s airspace, according to a senior military official.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
Iran has called Monday's U.S. strikes on it 'a gross violation' of their ceasefire. The U.S. military said it carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran after boats were seen laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. says a peace deal may require several more days.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
Latvia is strengthening its anti-drone capabilities along its borders with Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus after several drones entered the NATO member’s airspace, according to a senior military official.
NASA has revealed the next phase of its plan to build a permanent base on the Moon, outlining the vehicles, robotic landers and hopping drones it intends to send as part of the project.
Britain and Poland are set to sign a new defence and security treaty on Wednesday (27 May), deepening cooperation between the two NATO allies as European governments respond to what they describe as a growing range of hostile threats across the continent.
Chinese investigators have uncovered hidden tunnels, missing worker trackers and fake underground walls during an initial investigation into the country’s deadliest mining disaster in more than 15 years.
Europe continues to swelter in a record-breaking heatwave, with France recording its hottest day in May and Britain breaking a temperature record for the second time in 24 hours.
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