LONDON, April 17. /TASS/. The United Kingdom and France will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the end of the Paris summit with the participation of 49 countries.

"We agreed to accelerate our military planning. I could confirm that along with France, the UK will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation as soon as conditions allow. This will be strictly peaceful and defensive as a mission to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance," Starmer said as broadcast by Sky News.