Europe up for policing Hormuz — but only if the fighting stops

LONDON — European leaders steered well clear of hard military promises to solve the Strait of Hormuz crisis Thursday — despite Donald Trump ramping up his calls for them to do exactly that.

A 41-nation virtual call, chaired by the U.K., saw jabs at Iran for “trying to hold the global economy hostage,” fresh talk of sanctions, and a promise to up diplomatic pressure over continued blockage of the vital trade artery.

But the gathering — which included reps from the European Union, France, Germany, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Canada, among others — made plain that the countries Trump is demanding do more in the region want a ceasefire before they will consider going further.

The virtual meeting came days after the U.S. president called for NATO countries to “take the lead” and send warships into the Strait, whose retaliatory blockage by Iran has set off a global energy crisis. Trump doubled down Wednesday night, telling POLITICO: “They gotta get guts and go in.”

A readout of the meeting, provided by the U.K. side, said participants agreed to turn up international heat “including through the UN, to send clear and co-ordinated messages to Iran to permit unimpeded transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to comprehensively reject the imposition of tolls on vessels which seek to pass through.”

It promised to explore “co-ordinated economic and political measures, such as sanctions” to increase the pressure on Tehran if the Strait stays closed.

And there was talk of “arrangements to support greater market and operational confidence,” including boosting informational sharing “with shipping operators and industry bodies.”

But the 90-minute call also showed the reluctance among those on Trump’s wishlist to deploy military force in the Strait while the war continues.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who led the call, promised to convene military planners “to look at how we marshal our collective defensive military capabilities,” including through de-mining missions. But she made clear this would only come into play “once the conflict eases.” Work on post-conflict military planning hasn’t started yet, although an initial meeting along those lines is due on Tuesday.

Germany held to its position that it is open to helping safeguard the Strait as soon as fighting comes to an end.

On a separate trip to South Korea, French President Emmanuel Macron went further, warning that a military operation to liberate the Strait of Hormuz would be “unrealistic.”

“There are those who advocate for the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz by force through a military operation, a position sometimes expressed by the United States,” Macron said after arriving in South Korea for a two-day visit.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to the press during a visit at the War Memorial of Korea in Seoul on April 2, 2026. | Pool photo by Ludovic Marin via AFP/Getty Images

“It is unrealistic because it would take an inordinate amount of time and would expose anyone crossing the Strait to coastal threats from the [Iranian] Revolutionary Guards, who possess significant resources, as well as ballistic missiles, [plus] a host of other risks.”

The meeting also made clear the scale of the global supply  crunch, with those present briefed that the usual 150 tankers a day passing through the Strait has been sharply cut to just 10-20 at present.

UN route

The call coincided with a broader diplomatic push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with France advising Bahrain on a U.N. Security Council resolution that would seek legal backing to open the waterway with force if necessary.

The use of force, under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, is controversial. An EU diplomat said the latest version of text had the backing of the United Kingdom but not France, which was originally assisting with the Bahraini effort.

Any resolution to reopen the Strait before the Security Council would need the backing of all five permanent members of the Security Council, including Russia and China. The EU diplomat cited above voiced skepticism that Russia would get behind such a resolution given its support for Iran.

One senior official from an EU government who was on the London call said they were “impressed” with the U.K’.s efforts at convening the coalition. “It was a good meeting but it’s early days,” the official said.

“Political pressure on Iran is key,” they added. “The Iranians think they have a strong hand because they can shut down the sea lanes but they really don’t.”

Diana Nerozzi, Nette Nöstlinger and Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.