LONDON, April 17. /TASS/. European officials do not expect any breakthrough decisions at the summit on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which is scheduled to take place on Friday in Paris, the Financial Times (FT) reports.
"The whole point is to pretend there is a plan, when there isn’t," a Western official told the newspaper. Another European source told the publication that expectations for the meeting are very low, despite France’s attempts to organize a major event. He described the purpose of such efforts as a "response to [US President Donald] Trump’s pressure."
According to an official statement from the British government, around 40 countries will participate in the conference. French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are expected to meet in person in Paris, while the other leaders will join the discussions via video link.
According to the article, Macron and his European counterparts share the view that the coalition of countries assembled by Paris and London will not take action until hostilities cease completely. The FT reports that European leaders will work on a three-phase plan, starting with diplomatic and political cooperation to create the necessary conditions for ensuring the safety of the strait for shipping.
The second step involves providing logistical support to ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, including monitoring any hostile activity. The third phase, according to Western officials, will involve "military reassurance for freedom of navigation," including the deployment of naval forces in the region, but only once "lasting peace" is established.
Middle East crisis
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a war against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, came under attack. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a large-scale retaliatory operation against Israel. Iranian authorities also decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to ships associated with the US, Israel, and countries that supported the aggression against Tehran.
On April 11, Iran and the US held several rounds of talks in Islamabad. The Iranian delegation was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the American delegation was headed by Vice President JD Vance. Both sides later reported that they were unable to reach an agreement on a long-term settlement of the conflict due to a number of contradictions. The prospects for advancing dialogue between Tehran and Washington remain unclear. The US imposed a naval blockade on Iran on April 13.