G7 Backs France-UK Maritime Coalition to Secure Strait of Hormuz

A new chapter in global maritime stability began on Wednesday as G7 leaders officially endorsed a multinational defensive coalition led by France and the United Kingdom, tasked with safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz following a peace deal between the United States and Iran.

In a formal declaration issued during the G7 Summit, leaders reaffirmed that "the right of unimpeded and duty-free transit passage is the cornerstone of international trade."

The Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates a massive portion of the world's daily oil shipments, has been the epicentre of geopolitical volatility in West Asia.

To ensure the waterway remains open and secure, the G7 has thrown its weight behind the France-UK-led initiative.

The France-UK-led coalition aims to prioritise the protection of merchant vessels, the restoration of confidence among commercial shipping operators and insurers, and the systematic verification and removal of mines to ensure the waterway is cleared for full traffic.

How will the Strait of Hormuz coalition ensure unimpeded and duty-free transit for global trade?

"We reaffirm that the right of unimpeded and duty-free transit passage is the cornerstone of international trade," the declaration stated.

“We agreed that the multinational and independent defense initiative led by France and the United Kingdom can play an important role in facilitating the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz by protecting merchant ships, reassuring commercial shipping operators, and supporting verification of the removal of all mines," the declaration added.

This comes after US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the Strait of Hormuz had "already partially opened" and would be "completely opened" by Friday as part of the agreement reached with Iran following the recent hostilities in the region.

Speaking during a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G7 Summit at Évian-les-Bains, Trump expressed optimism over the implementation of the deal and the restoration of maritime movement through the strategically significant waterway.

Earlier, Trump said that ships, including several carrying oil, had started moving out of the Strait of Hormuz following his announcement of the completion of the Iran-US peace deal aimed at ending the hostilities in the region.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump suggested that maritime traffic through the strategically important waterway had resumed and described the designated shipping route as secure.

"Ships are starting to move, many loaded up with oil, out of the Strait of Hormuz. They are going along the Southern 'Highway', which is totally safe, secure, and pristine. There are other areas of travel, also," Trump wrote in his post.

(With inputs from ANI)