What to know about the demining and escort mission that US allies want for the Strait of Hormuz
France and England have been working on the plan for months. French President Emmanuel Macron brought up this idea in March, when the war was intensifying, and said that when the conflict ends, warships could accompany tankers and container ships while passing through the sea crossing point.
Also read: US says it will escort ships in Strait of Hormuz ‘soon’
US President Donald Trump told Macron at the Group of Seven summit on Monday that he did not see the need for “much help” because the strait “will be open” thanks to the interim agreement with Iran.
“But I don’t think it’s a bad idea to bring a ship or two from several countries here. You’d be a great country to do that,” Trump told the French leader.
Let’s take a closer look at the mission put forward by US allies to accelerate the return of oil and gas resources:
US allies tout this as next step in Iran dealIn a statement welcoming the framework agreement that would extend the US-Iran temporary ceasefire and lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, US allies said they were “committed to doing our part” to promptly reopen the waterway “with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation”.
The statement was made by France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Italy, and was later joined by Canada, all members of the G7 club of nations along with the United States.
They proposed “a strictly defensive and independent mission to secure commercial shipping and conduct mine-clearing operations.”
How do they say it might work?
France’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is already in the region. Macron sent it first to the Eastern Mediterranean and then to the Arabian Sea via the Suez Canal in early March.
Macron said other countries deployed to the region and able to assist quickly include the Netherlands, Italy and the United Kingdom.
The French leader told Trump that French warplanes could take part in observation missions over the vital waterway starting Tuesday, followed by frigates “within 48 hours” and an aircraft carrier within two to three days.
“Of course, all this assumes that this is wanted and demanded,” Macron said. he said. “Maybe it won’t be wanted, maybe it won’t be necessary. But either way, it reflects our desire to help.”
Mine clearing vessels will aim to rid the waterway of underwater hazards to shipping, which can be rocket-propelled, wired or seabed and triggered by sound, movement or light.
Trump said that the mines were found and efforts to find others were continuing, but that the strait was “already partially opened.”
While the UK Royal Navy was waiting off the coast of Gibraltar for deployment last month, RFA made a point of showing off the specialist expertise it could offer by welcoming reporters aboard a ship called Lyme Bay.
Allies have escort mission experience
French, American, British and other naval crews already have experience escorting civilian ships against enemy fire in the area. They previously defended cargo ships during attacks in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Also read: How can shipping congestion in the Strait of Hormuz be resolved?
French frigates used machine guns, artillery and advanced air defense missiles to fend off Houthi attacks. The French frigate Alsace shot down three ballistic missiles in the Red Sea while escorting a container ship in 2024. Capt. Jerome Henry, the ship’s commander at the time, told the AP that being subjected to potentially lethal attacks was frustrating and exhausting. Naval battles also took a toll on U.S. Navy ships and personnel.
If the naval crews are deployed in the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hoping there will be less danger if the ceasefire continues. But with Iran still believed to be armed with missiles, drones and other weapons, the warships’ defense systems could be used to fend off any attack if the ceasefire breaks down.
“Once a ceasefire is achieved, the need for a naval mission is significantly reduced,” said Max Bergmann, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, D.C.
“A British-French naval presence would undoubtedly have some security benefits. It could increase the risk of Iran reigniting the war; it demonstrates Europe’s commitment to the Gulf states and could reassure shipping and insurance companies,” he said. “But we shouldn’t exaggerate its benefit.”
Joint Franco-British planning for the mission involves Australia, South Korea and Japan, Bahrain and Qatar in the Gulf, Canada and more than a dozen countries in Europe.
38 countries came together at the meeting last month, where France and the UK met with defense ministers and other representatives regarding the plans.
