Britain plans to establish task force to open Strait of Hormuz

Washington — Britain has proposed the formation of a multinational task force and shared the plan with the United States and other nations regarding traffic problems in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios on Tuesday, citing several sources.

The US Government wants Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, and Gulf states to join the proposed coalition.

However, several nations have responded to the initiative with scepticism, whilst others have firmly rejected it, according to sources familiar with the matter.

They added that Britain’s draft proposal has not yet been presented to all the nations the US requested to participate.

“The situation is chaotic. Many people are confused,” a European diplomat told Axios.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump stated that the US does not need assistance from other nations to handle the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

At the same time, he claimed that “many nations” had told him they were “making efforts” to help the US.

On 28 February, the US and Israel launched strikes against several targets in Iran, including Tehran, resulting in damage and civilian casualties.

Iran retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East.

Escalation around the Iranian region has caused traffic disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a major route for shipping oil and liquefied natural gas from Persian Gulf nations to global markets.

The blockade has also affected oil exports and production in the region.