UK Holds Strait of Hormuz Meeting With 40+ Countries

A statement posted on the UK government website on Thursday outlined that UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper had convened a meeting of over 40 countries “from every continent of the world, as well as key international organizations”, focused on the Strait of Hormuz.  

The meeting, which included representation from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union, “showed clearly the determination of the international community to secure freedom of navigation and re-open the Strait”, the statement highlighted, noting that “Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is a direct threat to global prosperity”.

The statement described the Strait as one of the world’s most critical maritime corridors, pointing out that it is used to transport “vital supplies and products such as fertilizers urgently needed to support farming in Africa” and that it is “a primary route for global energy exports, delivering oil, refined petroleum and liquified natural gas to countries across the globe”.

“These supplies help to power homes, facilitate air travel, and support international trade and food chains,” the statement noted.

“Disruption to shipping through the Strait therefore has immediate and far reaching consequences for global supplies, prices and economic stability, with severe humanitarian effects for communities the world over,” it added.

The statement said Iran “is trying to hold the global economy hostage in the Strait of Hormuz” and noted that “they must not prevail”.

It went on to reveal that the partners had called for the “immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and the law of the sea”.

The statement highlighted that the partners discussed “a number of areas of possible collective, coordinated, action”.

These included an increase in international diplomatic pressure, including through the United Nations, “to send clear and coordinated messages to Iran to permit unimpeded transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to comprehensively reject the imposition of tolls on vessels which seek to pass through,” the statement outlined.

It also included the exploration of coordinated economic and political measures, “such as sanctions, to bear down on Iran if the Strait remains closed”, as well as working together with the IMO “to secure the release of thousands of ships and sailors trapped in the Strait and get shipping moving again”, the statement revealed.

In addition, joint arrangements to support greater market and operational confidence were looked at, the statement outlined, pointing out that this includes working with shipping operators and industry bodies “to ensure coherent and timely information sharing”.

The statement also highlighted that the partners agreed to take forward further discussions among experts and officials in participating countries “to secure freedom of navigation”.

“It is imperative that international law is respected and that Iran fully re-opens the Strait of Hormuz,” the statement concluded.

IMO

A statement posted on the IMO website noted that, during a virtual meeting for Foreign Ministers from more than 40 countries hosted by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to discuss the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, IMO Secretary-General Dominguez “called on all parties to respect the rights and freedoms of navigation and stressed the paramount importance of the safety and wellbeing of seafarers”. 

Dominguez emphasized the need for de-escalation and operational maritime solutions rather than purely military approaches, the statement said.

“Fragmented responses are no longer sufficient to resolve this crisis. What is urgently required is diplomatic engagement, practical and neutral solutions, and coordinated international action,” Dominguez said following the meeting, the statement showed.

“IMO is advancing a maritime evacuation framework built on coastal state cooperation, security guarantees and operational coordination, with the clear objective of releasing stranded vessels, enabling safe crew rotations and preventing an environmental disaster,” he added.  

The IMO statement noted that, since the beginning of the conflict on February 28, the organization has confirmed 21 attacks on commercial shipping, “resulting in the deaths of 10 seafarers with several more severely injured”.

“Around 20,000 civilian seafarers remain aboard vessels in the Persian Gulf, facing dwindling supplies, fatigue and severe psychological stress,” the statement warned.

It added that, following an extraordinary session of the IMO Council from March 18-19, the organization has undertaken “key actions”.

These include holding ongoing discussions by Dominguez and representatives from the relevant states on the development of a safe passage framework to evacuate seafarers currently stranded in the Persian Gulf; engaging states in the region that have stepped forward to secure supply lines to ships and facilitate humanitarian access for seafarers; and hosting an online hub on the IMO website that includes verified information on ship attacks, guidance from key industry bodies and international partners, contacts for stranded seafarers, as well as resources related to the global economic impact, the statement outlined.

The IMO also noted that it maintains close communication with industry bodies such as BIMCO, ICS, ITF, INTERTANKO, WSC and others, “to share information and coordinate action where necessary” and said it is a member of a new dedicated task force established by the UN Secretary-General “to work on technical mechanisms specifically designed to meet humanitarian needs in the Strait of Hormuz”.  

The Task Force is led by Under-Secretary-General Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), and includes representatives from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and others, alongside the IMO, the statement pointed out.

Public Good

In a statement posted on her X page on Thursday, Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, thanked Cooper for convening a call of over 40 countries on the Strait of Hormuz.

“This waterway is a global public good,” Kallas said in the statement.

“Iran cannot be allowed to charge countries a bounty to let ships pass. International law doesn’t recognize pay to pass schemes,” Kallas added.

“Today, we looked at diplomatic, economic, and security measures to restore safe passage, alongside working with the shipping industry. The EU’s Aspides naval mission has already assisted 1,700 ships in the Red Sea and must be scaled up,” Kallas continued.

“We cannot afford to lose another critical trade route. We support work by the UN on humanitarian corridors in the Strait to get food and fertilizers out. The EU has tools to track and facilitate transit that could help with that,” the EU representative went on to state.

Rigzone has contacted the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment on the UK government statement, the IMO statement, and Kallas’ post on X. At the time of writing, the ministry has not responded to Rigzone.

To contact the author, email andreas.exarheas@rigzone.com