The Strait of Hormuz: Five European countries and Japan are on the front lines of the crisis
Five European countries, along with Japan, announced on Thursday their readiness to put in place plans to ensure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which was closed by Iranian military forces following the US-Israeli war on their country.
A joint statement issued by Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan on the sidelines of the Brussels summit read: "We condemn Iran's attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf."
The European countries and Japan added: "We are ready to contribute to ensuring passage through the Strait of Hormuz, and we will take steps to stabilize energy markets."
The countries continued in their statement: "We will work to support the most affected countries through the United Nations," calling for "an immediate halt to attacks on oil and gas facilities."
Iran is exploiting its location in the Strait of Hormuz to put pressure on the energy market and force countries to negotiate for safe passage, which raises the cost of conflict for the United States and its allies.
The recent attacks have caused unprecedented disruption to shipping and increased risks, with the number of passing ships declining sharply.
Asian countries such as India, Turkey and Pakistan began negotiating with Tehran to secure supplies, amid a de facto closure of the strait to "enemy ships".
In contrast, Washington is finding it difficult to form a maritime coalition, and the resumption of normal navigation could take weeks even in the best-case scenario. link