French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have welcomed the announced reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but said the key global shipping route must remain permanently open and secure.

Macron said after a meeting of around 50 countries in Paris that “we all demand the full, immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties.” Starmer said announcements by Iran and the United States declaring the waterway open must become “both lasting and a workable proposal.” He added that France and the U.K. would lead a multinational mission to safeguard maritime shipping “as soon as conditions allow,” with military planners set to meet in London next week.

Iran, US say Strait of Hormuz is fully open to commercial vessels

The Paris gathering, attended by more than 30 heads of state and government either in person or virtually, excluded the United States. It aimed to advance plans for the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Freedom of Navigation Initiative, following disruptions linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that had pushed up global oil prices.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier said passage for commercial vessels would remain “completely open” during a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, while U.S. President Donald Trump said American naval restrictions would continue until a full agreement with Iran was reached.

Macron said the proposed mission would be “strictly defensive,” involving non-belligerent countries and deployed only when security conditions permit.

France and Britain are leading military planning efforts, considering roles such as mine-clearing, intelligence sharing and maritime coordination, rather than direct naval escorts. Experts said such tasks would be more feasible for coalition partners given limited naval capacity.

Dozens of countries, including   Australia, Canada, South Korea and Ukraine, have participated in discussions, though commitments to deploy forces remain uncertain.