A group of about thirty participants is expected on Friday in Paris, starting at 2 p.m., around Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The goal is to establish a mission to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but only once the fragile Iranian-American ceasefire is consolidated.
Qui participe à cette réunion ?
Emmanuel Macron welcomes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the Elysée Palace. In total, about thirty participants, some via video conference, from Europe but also from the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America will be involved.
Video: A CMA CGM container ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz declaring to have a “French owner.”
The meeting is reminiscent of the format of the volunteer coalition in support of Ukraine. However, the United States is not participating in this initiative as Paris aims to gather only countries not directly involved in the conflict.
Quel est l’objectif concret ?
The idea, promoted by France since March 9, is to establish an international mission to secure the strait. It would be “strictly defensive” and would intervene once the ceasefire is consolidated.
The main objectives include ensuring freedom of navigation, reassuring maritime companies, and supporting potential mine clearance operations. Countries volunteering could contribute according to their means, whether through ships, planes, or surveillance capabilities.
Quelles conditions pour que cette mission voie le jour ?
Several prerequisites are set. Firstly, a sustainable cessation of hostilities between Iran, the United States, and their allies is required. “For now, we have an informal ceasefire, and its durability is not established,” noted the Elysée.
Furthermore, concrete guarantees are needed: Tehran must not target commercial ships, and Washington must not block maritime flows. Paris also emphasizes two red lines: no laying of mines in the strait and no “boarding” imposed on ships, an Iranian strategy. The stated goal is to return to the pre-war status quo.
Pourquoi les États-Unis sont-ils absents ?
France and the UK advocate a different approach from Washington’s. They refuse to join a coalition with a country directly involved in the conflict to maintain a position of neutrality. The Elysée mentions the need for a “third way” between the US’s maximum pressure on Iran and a resumption of hostilities.
“We will certainly do this in good intelligence with the Americans, but we will not enter a coalition with the Americans simply because we are not parties to the conflict,” highlighted the Elysée. This approach is not universally accepted, with Germany, for example, preferring American participation.
Quelles suites après cette conférence ?
The Paris meeting aims to establish the political and operational foundations of the mission. It will be followed by a new summit next week in Northwood, near London, the site of a British military headquarters. Everything depends on the evolution of the ceasefire and potential resumption of discussions between Washington and Tehran. Without lasting stabilization, the security mission could remain a mere project.
