BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 7. Efforts to establish a European-led naval mission to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have stalled despite months of diplomatic discussions.
The United States first proposed the creation of an international maritime coalition in March, when President Donald Trump called on allies, as well as China, to contribute naval forces to safeguard one of the world's most important shipping routes.
Most countries initially declined to participate or stopped short of making commitments, although the United Kingdom and France indicated they were open to joining such an initiative.
As the conflict involving Iran continued, U.S. officials repeatedly promoted the coalition plan, while Trump criticized several allies for what he described as insufficient support for Washington.
In mid-April, then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the UK and France intended to lead an international maritime mission in the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that the operation would be "strictly peaceful and defensive."
Despite those announcements, progress toward launching the mission has remained limited.
