France and UK chair meeting on post-conflict Strait of Hormuz mission

France's President Emmanuel Macron, left, welcomes British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to an international summit to push forward efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, at the Elysee Palace, in Paris. AP - Michel Euler

French and British leaders were on Friday chairing a meeting in Paris of around 40 countries aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its closest allies are ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said the strait is now “fully open” to commercial shipping – a move welcomed by President Donald Trump, although Washington continues to maintain its own blockade on Iranian ports.

Iran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz – through which some 20 percent of the world's oil passes – since United States-Israeli air strikes began on 28 February, leading to a surge in global energy prices.