UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the UK will lead a major diplomatic summit of approximately 35 nations in London this week.
The urgent meeting aims to establish a coordinated international strategy for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping.
This initiative follows weeks of a devastating maritime blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that has crippled global oil supplies. In addition, the crisis has triggered severe energy rationing across Europe.
Goals of Summit
The summit will reportedly focus on creating a multilateral “security corridor” to protect commercial vessels from ongoing strikes and harassment in the Persian Gulf.
This move is seen as a direct attempt to provide a functional “off-ramp” for the current regional conflict. International cooperation will play a key role in this effort.
Diplomats suggest that many invited nations are seeking a solution that avoids further large-scale military escalation. They also want to ensure the free flow of commerce. Moreover, this “London Coalition” represents a significant push for a rules-based resolution to the maritime crisis.
Starmer said on Wednesday the meeting would bring together 35 countries to “assess all viable diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers, and to resume the movement of vital commodities”.
The British prime minister said British military planners would convene after the meeting “to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the strait of Hormuz accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped”.
Countries expected to participate include the UK and France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria.
As global markets remain extremely volatile, the success of this 35-country summit is considered critical for preventing a total global economic collapse.
