{"id":26,"date":"2026-05-16T18:35:46","date_gmt":"2026-05-16T18:35:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hometransferguide.com\/?p=26"},"modified":"2026-05-16T18:35:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T18:35:46","slug":"as-britain-and-france-try-prying-hormuz-open-with-their-own-crowbars-uncle-sam-forms-new-coalition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hometransferguide.com\/?p=26","title":{"rendered":"As Britain And France Try Prying Hormuz Open With Their Own Crowbars, Uncle Sam Forms New Coalition"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/p>\n

The U.S. has invited all NATO allies to join a Washington-led maritime security initiative in the Strait of Hormuz as Britain and France move ahead with their own effort to secure the chokepoint, statements provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation show.<\/p>\n

Read more American Bar Association Caves On DEI Rule For Law Schools<\/a><\/p>\n

The dueling efforts show Western governments are moving on separate but overlapping tracks to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, where disrupted shipping threatens global energy markets and raises the risk of direct military confrontation with Iran. The U.K. and France have emphasized that their efforts are distinct from the proposed U.S. calls for broader participation in a separate initiative tied to maritime security in the strait.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe [Joint French-U.K.] initiative is therefore entirely separate from the United States\u2019 approach and remains defensive in nature,\u201d a French military spokesperson told the DCNF.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll NATO allies, including Latvia, have received the invitation to join the U.S.-led initiative on the maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d Sab\u012bne Janisela, the press and public diplomacy counselor for the Embassy of Latvia, told the DCNF. \u201cWe support the multilateral efforts to ensure the maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz. We welcome both the joint French-U.K. and U.S. initiatives, and we will continue to coordinate to achieve these goals.\u201d (<\/strong>RELATED: Trump Says Hormuz Strikes Were \u2018Just A Love Tap,\u2019 Ceasefire In Effect)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The White House referred the DCNF to the State Department for comment. The Department of War, the State Department and NATO did not immediately respond.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n\"An\n<\/div>\n

An F-18 Hornet fighter jet prepares to land on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on February 14, 2018, as the carrier strike group takes part in a routine deployment mission in the South China Sea, one hour away from Manila.
(AYEE MACARAIG\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Team Effort<\/h3>\n

\u201cBelgium is joining the initiative led by the United Kingdom and France to clear the Strait of Hormuz of mines and guarantee safe passage,\u201d Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson David Jordens told the DCNF. \u201cBelgium is offering specific expertise in mine clearance, but strictly within a defensive framework, under an international mandate and following a ceasefire. The Belgian Government must still take the final decision once the ceasefire is in place.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed to create a Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC) to support freedom of navigation, Reuters reported, citing a State Department cable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith our allies, this multinational mission will be defensive, independent, and credible,\u201d United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey said in a press release on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

French military media relations told the DCNF that its carrier strike group is currently in the Red Sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe movement of the carrier strike group is distinct from the military operations initiated in the region and complements the security arrangements,\u201d a French military spokesperson told the DCNF.<\/p>\n

South Korea has also signaled openness to supporting maritime security efforts in the strait.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Republic of Korea is a key stakeholder that imports about 70% of its crude oil from the Strait of Hormuz,\u201d Korea.net reported, citing South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. \u201cWe will make a practical contribution toward guaranteeing free navigation within the strait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz accounted for roughly 20% of global petroleum supply at 20 million barrels per day in 2024, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s very interesting \u2026 the fact that the UK and France are sort of spinning off, doing their own thing,\u201d national security expert Brandon Weichert told the DCNF. \u201cTo be clear, the UK is not in a position, even if they really wanted to, to send a force to open up the Strait of Hormuz; their navy is not doing well. This is the smallest Navy they\u2019ve ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n

The U.S. Navy continues to enforce a blockade that has been in effect since April 13, according to a U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) press release.<\/p>\n

Read more Spencer Pratt\u2019s Opponents Propose Dentists For Meth Heads, Ban On Backyard BBQs<\/a><\/p>\n

President Donald Trump recently said in a Truth Social post that Project Freedom would be \u201cpaused for a short period of time.\u201d CENTCOM had described Project Freedom as an effort to \u201crestore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz\u201d in a May 3 press release. (RELATED: Iranian Missile Capacity May Be Higher Than Trump Suggests)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll believe it when I see it, because NATO really can\u2019t do anything without the U.S. Navy,\u201d Weichert told the DCNF. \u201cAnd thus far, the [U.S. navy] admirals have found every excuse in the book to misdirect Trump or to distract him from actually giving the order to send ships through the Strait of Hormuz because they know the threat from anti-ship ballistic missiles and the drones are so serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n\"Mockups\n<\/div>\n

Mockups of domestically-made Iranian missiles are displayed at an exhibition outside the Defence Museum in Tehran on March 31, 2026. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This mission may encounter military opposition as the Iranian regime has access to 30 of its 33 missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, The New York Times reported, citing senior U.S. intelligence officials. The Iranian regime still has access to nearly 70% of its mobile missile launchers and retains 70% of its missile stockpiles, the Times reported, citing intelligence assessments.<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump made a post on Truth Social\u00a0claiming that most of Iran\u2019s military capabilities have already been destroyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime \u2018Leaders\u2019 are no longer with us, praise be to Allah,\u201d Trump said in the Truth Social\u00a0post.<\/p>\n