UK, France to lead Strait of Hormuz freedom of navigation coalition

 “We expect another military-level meeting at the end of this week that will include the chiefs of the general staff of a broader group of countries that signed the statement,” the source said.

The Times reported that on March 22 Britain’s chief of the general staff, Richard Knighton, met with representatives of France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and Canada to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz. The Ministry of Defence official told AFP other countries may now be invited.

“We recognize that we must play our part in uniting this coalition and in helping the rest of the world develop a plan that will ensure the Strait of Hormuz is reopened as quickly as possible,” he said.

The Times also reported that the UK has offered to host a summit at the Royal Navy base in Portsmouth to discuss details and form the coalition “as soon as conditions allow.”