France, UK to host Hormuz talks Friday — Official

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France and Britain will co-host a video conference on Friday with countries ready to contribute to a “purely defensive mission” to secure the Strait of Hormuz, the French president’s office said.

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President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair the meeting to discuss a plan to “restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz when security conditions allow”, it said on Tuesday.

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A spokesman for the British prime minister’s office said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”

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US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February sparked a region-wide war and brought traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill, blocking a key route for global oil and gas shipments.

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Iran and the United States last week agreed to a two-week cessation of hostilities, but ceasefire talks between the warring sides in Pakistan over the weekend ended in failure.

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US President Donald Trump responded by ordering his navy to carry out a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday.

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AFP

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