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Europe plans mine-clearing mission to reopen Strait of Hormuz without US, Macron says

European leaders are discussing an international, defensive naval mission of minesweepers and support ships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without US command, with Macron saying the plan would exclude parties directly involved in the conflict and be coordinated with regional states.

Apr 14th 2026 · Iran

Insights

  • European countries are considering a coalition of minesweepers and other naval vessels to secure the Strait of Hormuz after a ceasefire, the Wall Street Journal reports.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the plan and said it would exclude countries directly involved in the conflict and be defensive in nature.
  • Diplomats told the WSJ that European ships would not be under US command and the operation would require guarantees of no new attacks and coordination with regional states including Iran and Oman.
  • French officials say excluding the US could make the mission more acceptable to Iran, while British officials fear it could anger the US and limit the operation's scope.
  • Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will meet with dozens of countries on Friday the 17th to discuss the plan; the US is not expected to attend and China and India have been invited but not yet responded.

Sources