The UK and France will host a multinational meeting of defence ministers on Tuesday to discuss military plans to restore trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz, the British government said.
The announcement came hours after Iran warned London and Paris against sending warships to the region.
“The Defence Secretary John Healey will co-chair a meeting of over 40 nations, alongside his French counterpart, Minister Catherine Vautrin, for the multinational mission’s first Defence Minister’s meeting,” a British defence ministry statement said Sunday.
The virtual meeting follows a two-day gathering in London in April of military planners who thrashed out the practicalities of a multinational mission led by the UK and France to protect navigation in the key waterway following a sustainable ceasefire.
“We are turning diplomatic agreement into practical military plans to restore confidence for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Healey said.