France and Britain are hosting a meeting of 40 countries on Friday. The purpose is to signal the United States that some of its closest allies will be'ready' to play a part in restoring the freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, once the conditions permit.

Since the beginning of U.S. and Israeli air strikes in February, Iran has closed the Strait to all ships except its own. Washington imposed an embargo on Monday against ships that enter or leave Iranian ports.

U.S. president Donald Trump called on other countries, including NATO allies, to enforce the blockade and criticised them for not doing so.

Britain, France, and other countries say that joining the blockade is the same as entering the war. However, they have stated they are willing to keep the strait opened once the conflict ends or there has been a ceasefire lasting for a long time.

The United States and Iran are not included in the initiative currently being discussed, but European diplomats say that any realistic mission will ultimately require coordination with both. Washington will be informed of the results.

SAFARI STRANDED SEAFARERS: SAFETY & COMFORTABLE DESIGN

A note sent to the invited nations states that the purpose of the meeting will be to reaffirm the full diplomatic support of unfettered free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, and to stress the importance of respecting international law.

The meeting will also discuss the economic challenges that face the shipping industry, as well as the safety of over 20,000 stranded sailors and commercial vessels.

The report will also describe the preparations to be made for a strictly defensive multi-national military mission, if certain conditions are met. This is done in order to guarantee freedom of navigation.

At the end of the session, a?chairman's statement will be expected. It is intended to provide a better understanding of what this mission might entail. However, it is not expected that the statement would specify which countries could contribute.

Official: RESOURCES DEPENDENT ON SITUATION

President Emmanuel Macron will be in attendance, along with British Prime Minister KeirStarmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melons. Officials from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East can join via videoconference.

China was invited to the event, but it is not yet clear if it will participate.

Many diplomats have said that the mission may never be realized if things return to normal in Hormuz.

Some said that shipping companies and insurance companies could use such a deployment to provide assurance during a transitional phase.

A senior French official told reporters that it could involve intelligence sharing, mine-clearance capability, military escorts and information procedures.

The resources that are deployed will depend on the current situation.

Britain said that Friday's discussions would directly feed into a multilateral military planning meeting scheduled for next week. (Reporting from John Irish in Paris, Additional reporting by Sam Tabahriti at London; Editing and rewriting by Alison Williams).

(source: Reuters)