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Patrol stalled by ceasefire
European allies are resisting a U.S. push for a joint patrol in the Strait of Hormuz until they see a stable ceasefire in the war with Iran, Politico reported Wednesday.
“Europe resists US push for Hormuz patrol without a stable Iran ceasefire”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been pressing Britain and France to help lead the maritime coalition, but the effort has encountered widespread suspicion across Europe, according to four British officials and one U.S. official who spoke with Politico.
A British defense official told the Financial Times on Saturday that "People do not understand how serious the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is, and it is about to erupt," as the strait remained largely closed after months of fighting drove up gas prices.
The United States halted its attacks on Iran since Friday, following 12 days of renewed bombing, though officials have not said what prompted the pause.
The United States and Britain hope to convene an international conference in London to define participating countries’ roles and determine which warships would search for naval mines or protect civilian vessels in the strait, which Iran has effectively paralyzed.
Diplomacy vs. distrust
Politico described the latest ceasefire as "fragile at best," with Trump telling reporters this week that the two sides were "talking right now" and that there was a "good chance" renewed diplomacy could produce a more permanent ceasefire or a diplomatic breakthrough.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said, "At present, what exists cannot be described as a ceasefire," as commercial shipping in the region remained largely frozen.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons said in an interview that the U.S. and its allies were not consulted before the Israeli-American war against Iran began in February, adding, "There was no consultation with Congress, no consultation with allies, just boom."
Streeting said earlier this week that Britain "did not join and will not join offensive U.S. military action in Iran," while insisting that Britain and the United States were aligned on securing freedom of navigation and free commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Politico reported that five officials who spoke with the magazine warned the patrol initiative had made little progress and that no movement was expected soon.
What’s at stake next
The dispute over access to the Strait of Hormuz has continued to shape the wider war, with Iran demanding that ships use a route near its coastline and said it can potentially charge fees, while the U.S. and Iran had experienced a brief period of calm during which neither announced attacks for days.
“remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness”
The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted and that U.S. forces "remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness," after Iran launched multiple ballistic missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Tuesday.
The Associated Press reported that the Persian Gulf waterway is a narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil normally flows, and that Iran effectively closed the strait when the war began by firing at freighters and tankers off its coast or threatening too.
In parallel, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on eight oil tankers and ten entities over Iran-related activities, as part of American measures in response to Iran's threats to international navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Hill reported that mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were trying to bridge the gap between the U.S. and Iran after both American and Iranian forces paused attacks, while the war has nearly reached its sixth month after the U.S. and Israel launched joint attacks in Iran on Feb. 28.
