European leaders announced on Friday that they were accelerating plans for a neutral, defensive multinational mission to secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, even after Iran said earlier that the waterway had been fully reopened to maritime traffic for the remainder of the ceasefire due to expire on 22 April.
Co-chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the Paris meeting brought together 49 countries, mostly by video conference, to discuss a future defensive operation aimed at securing freedom of navigation once conditions allow.
