London will host military planners from more than 30 nations for two days of discussions beginning on Wednesday, focusing on a joint mission led by the UK and France to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the defense ministry.
The ministry said the meeting aims to move forward with “detailed planning” to reopen the strait when conditions permit, following progress made during talks in Paris last week.
Defense Secretary John Healey stated that the goal of the talks is to turn diplomatic agreement into a coordinated plan to protect freedom of navigation and support a sustained ceasefire in the region. He added that he believes meaningful progress is achievable.
The meeting follows discussions in Paris co-led by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, which involved representatives from over 40 countries.
Both Britain and France stressed that the proposed force would be defensive in nature and would only be deployed once a lasting peace agreement is reached.
Neither the United States nor Iran took part in the discussions, as they are directly involved in the conflict.
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was set to expire Tuesday at midnight, but US President Donald Trump announced shortly before the deadline that it would be extended to allow more time for negotiations.
Both sides have accused each other of violating the ceasefire, while Trump confirmed that a US blockade of Iranian ports remains in place.
The UK government had earlier indicated that a military planning meeting would be held this week, without providing specifics.
The talks are scheduled at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in northwest London, which serves as the UK’s central command for coordinating joint military operations.
