US and UK Plan High-Level Meeting in London on Hormuz Strait Security

The United States and the United Kingdom are planning a high-level meeting in London next week to discuss the formation of a potential international coalition aimed at protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by US-based news outlet Axios on Friday. The meeting is expected to bring together defence ministers and top military commanders from Western and Middle Eastern nations. The reopening of the strategic waterway, a vital global energy transit route, is widely viewed as a central component of the US strategy to end the war with Iran. While US defence officials stated that Iran’s military capabilities around the strait have been largely crippled by American strikes, other officials cautioned that Tehran still possesses the ability to target ships in the area. The agenda and exact timing of the London meeting are still under discussion and have not yet been finalised, Axios reported, citing two European diplomats.