Strait of Hormuz maritime navigation initiative.

On Friday, 17 April 2026, President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired a conference on the Strait of Hormuz Maritime Navigation Initiative.

In the face of ongoing tensions in the Middle East, France and its partners remain committed to defending their interests and to achieving a robust and lasting resolution to the conflict through diplomatic means, ensuring peace and security for all in the region.

The President of the Republic and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom held a working lunch before convening the conference at the Élysée Palace.

The conference brought together around fifty non-belligerent states wishing to reaffirm their commitment to freedom and security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with international law and the law of the sea, and to work towards restoring it through a strictly defensive multinational mission when security conditions allow.

Following the conference, the President of the Republic, the UK Prime Minister, the Italian Prime Minister, and the German Chancellor addressed the press.

Watch the joint statement again:

The Heads of State and Government called for:

• the full, immediate, and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by all parties;
• the restoration of conditions for free passage in the Strait of Hormuz as they existed prior to the war;
• full respect for the law of the sea.

The aim is to support and secure merchant vessels transiting the Gulf, and to provide insurers and shipowners with the visibility needed to resume maritime traffic as soon as possible.

A planning meeting will be held in London next week.