Britain is taking aggressive diplomatic action by leading a virtual\nmeeting involving around 40 countries on Thursday (2\/4\/2026). The\nmeeting aims to formulate strategies to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the\nworld\u2019s most crucial waterway, which is currently under a de facto\nblockade by Iran.<\/p>\n
This blockade is a fallout from the United States and Israel\u2019s attack\non Tehran on 28 February. As a result, the distribution of 20 percent of\nthe world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies has halted,\ntriggering a surge in global crude oil prices to over US$100 per barrel,\na rise of about 40 percent since the war broke out.<\/p>\n
The most striking aspect of this meeting is the absence of the United\nStates. US President Donald Trump has explicitly stated that reopening\nthe strait is not his country\u2019s responsibility. In a social media post,\nTrump mocked his allies, including Britain, whom he believes are\nreluctant to engage directly in military operations against Iran.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must start learning how to fight for yourselves. The US will not\nbe there to help you anymore. Go get your own oil!\u201d Trump wrote in his\ncontroversial statement.<\/p>\n
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper led the video conference,\nwhich was attended by major countries such as France, the Netherlands,\nGermany, Italy, Canada, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.\nEuropean countries that were previously hesitant have now decided to\njoin due to the mounting economic pressures from the energy price\nsurge.<\/p>\n
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasised that the main agenda\nof the meeting is to assess all possible diplomatic and political steps\nto restore freedom of navigation. \u201cWe will also deploy military planners\nto see how we can assemble capabilities to ensure the strait is\naccessible and safe once the fighting stops,\u201d Starmer said.<\/p>\n
This coalition plan includes two main phases:<\/p>\n
Although this coalition has formed, the challenges on the ground are\nvery severe. Iran currently only allows ships from countries it\nconsiders friendly, such as China, Malaysia, Pakistan, and India, to\npass through. Media reports indicate that the Islamic Revolutionary\nGuard Corps (IRGC) has been operating a toll gate system to control ship\ntraffic.<\/p>\n
Ian Lesser, an expert from the German Marshall Fund, assesses that\nthe prospects of this coalition remain doubtful without a negotiated\nagreement with Iran. \u201cReopening the strait by force would require\ncooperation between the US and European allies. Ideally, Starmer\u2019s\ncoalition would operate alongside US forces, not replace them,\u201d he\nexplained.<\/p>\n
This crisis places Britain in a difficult position: attempting to\ndemonstrate leadership in front of European allies while maintaining\nrelations with the increasingly isolationist Trump administration, amid\nthe threat of global economic paralysis due to the halted energy flow\nfrom the Gulf.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hormuz-strait-crisis-britain-rallies-coalition-of-40-countries-without-the-us-1775148647", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }