By M Dowling
Six U.S. Western allies announced in a joint statement on Thursday their support for a potential coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial ships and oil tankers.
The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan issued a joint statement, saying, “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces.
“We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict; we call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks, and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817.” The nations continued, we express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,” they added.
The statement does not include any commitment to send naval vessels or other resources to make that happen. For now, it’s largely a gesture to placate President Trump.