The United Kingdom and France declared on Friday their readiness to deploy a broader multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, following an agreement with Oman to cooperate on securing its sovereign territorial waters. A joint statement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron described the strait as a vital artery for the global economy and framed the restoration of safe transit for all nations as a matter of global concern. The announcement came days after Starmer met Sultan Haitham bin Tarik Al of Oman to discuss reassuring the shipping industry, and weeks after a US-Iran memorandum of understanding that Macron called an important step for regional stability.

Positions on the initiative diverge sharply along regional lines. The British and French governments stressed their commitment to regional stability, respect for the sovereignty of all states, and international law. Oman’s agreement to cooperate was confirmed in the joint statement, but Iranian media, citing a Bloomberg report, claimed that Muscat had informed European officials that a return to pre-war conditions in the strait is impossible and that vessels may face fees for pollution cleanup and navigation services. Tehran, which insists the waterway falls under the shared sovereignty of Iran and Oman, has repeatedly blamed the United States and Israel for insecurity in the area and maintains that collective security can only be achieved through regional cooperation without external military intervention. US-funded Persian-language media, meanwhile, reported that Iran had attacked commercial ships and insisted on collecting tolls, actions it said caused spikes in global energy and fertilizer prices.

France has already positioned mine-countermeasure assets in the region: two minehunters, two frigates, and a maritime patrol aircraft will remain on station while the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle returns to its home port of Toulon. The broader multinational mission, still in the planning phase, is intended to draw in additional partners. Starmer’s office noted that the Omani sultan’s mediation had contributed to the US-Iran memorandum, and the two leaders agreed to work closely to restore confidence in the strait’s safety. The potential introduction of transit fees, as reported by Iranian outlets, adds an economic dimension to the security architecture, though no official confirmation of such payments has emerged from European capitals.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption passes, has been a flashpoint since a period of open hostilities between Iran and a US-Israeli coalition, described by Arab news outlets as a war that disrupted shipping and sent fuel prices soaring. A subsequent ceasefire and the June memorandum have allowed a tentative resumption of normal traffic, but the UK-French initiative signals a push for a more durable framework. Viewed from London and Paris, the mission is a calibrated response to persistent risks and a demonstration of commitment to freedom of navigation. From Tehran, any permanent foreign naval presence is framed as a violation of coastal state sovereignty and a continuation of external interference.

The dossier remains at the readiness stage, with no deployment timeline announced. Further consultations with partners are expected, and the mission’s scope will likely be shaped by the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum and the reactions of other Gulf littoral states. The shipping industry, still wary after months of disruption, awaits concrete security guarantees before fully resuming routine transit through the waterway.