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France and Britain detailed proposals for a multinational maritime mission aimed at securing passage through the Strait of Hormuz as NATO foreign ministers met their counterparts from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the sidelines of a summit in Ankara, Reuters reported. The gathering occurred amid persistent tensions in the waterway despite a mid-June interim peace deal between the United States and Iran that was intended to ease the deadlock. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot told participants that Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates had been directly targeted by Iranian attacks this spring, adding that their stability and security are inextricably linked to broader regional concerns including Europe’s energy needs.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency reported early on Tuesday that a tanker had been struck east of Oman’s Limah while Axios reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the strait, according to the Reuters dispatch. Iran began blockading the waterway after U.S. and Israeli military action against it in February, Reuters noted, and passage has remained restricted even after the interim accord that included provisions for resuming commercial shipping. A European diplomat told Reuters that any durable maritime arrangement would require Tehran’s consent, describing the Tuesday meeting as largely symbolic.
U.S. President Donald Trump, attending the NATO summit hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, criticised allies for their reluctance to support Washington on Iran, Reuters reported from Ankara. “We weren’t treated well because we did something in Iran. We don’t need anybody’s help. I didn’t even want their help. But before I asked, they said they wouldn’t be there,” Trump said, pointing to Britain, Italy, France and Germany. The comments underscored transatlantic differences over the conflict that European nations have sought to avoid being drawn into directly.
NATO allies have focused on plans outside the formal alliance framework to reopen the strait, through which the U.S. Energy Information Administration data places average daily oil flows at 20.9 million barrels in the first half of 2025, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption. The International Energy Agency separately reported that flows plunged during the 2026 crisis, contributing to Gulf production cuts of at least 10 million barrels per day and significant disruptions to global supply chains. An interim memorandum of understanding reached in mid-June set a 60-day ceasefire period to address remaining issues including Iran’s nuclear programme and sanctions relief while committing to safe passage through the strait, according to details outlined by the Atlantic Council.
Paris and London have led efforts to assemble a coalition of roughly a dozen countries for the maritime initiative, with an initial focus on the Gulf of Oman that links the Arabian Sea to the strait and is bordered by Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, Reuters said. A Franco-British joint statement issued on July 3 declared that “The Sultanate of Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation.” Diplomats told Reuters that several NATO members have already deployed minehunters, warships and support vessels in the surrounding region as part of these preparations.
Iran has repeatedly opposed any foreign military presence in the area and last week dismissed comments by French President Emmanuel Macron suggesting the mission could advance, the news agency added. A second European diplomat told Reuters that Macron was seeking to demonstrate European solidarity with the United States at the summit but that fears of Iranian reaction would likely prevail without explicit approval from Tehran. The talks highlighted the challenge of balancing Gulf Arab security concerns with the need for Iranian acquiescence to restore normal shipping volumes that the International Energy Agency had previously estimated accounted for nearly one-fifth of global LNG trade before the crisis.
