French President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, Britain’s Keir Starmer, and German politician Robert Merz welcomed Iran’s decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping on 18 April 2026 during a video conference hosted in Paris [1].
The leaders said the waterway’s reopening is vital for freedom of navigation and regional security, and they urged that the strait remain open unconditionally and permanently to support global trade [2].
Macron said, "We welcome Iran's announcement that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened for commercial shipping, but we call for its unconditional reopening" [1].
Starmer said, "Freedom of navigation must be permanently restored to this key waterway" [2].
Meloni and Merz said the announcement aligns with Europe’s broader goal of securing maritime routes and that a multinational navigation‑security force could help guarantee safe passage [3].
The participants discussed the possibility of establishing such a force, emphasizing that coordinated patrols and shared intelligence would deter future disruptions and reinforce the strait’s status as an open conduit for commerce [4].
Iran announced the reopening would last for the remainder of the cease‑fire, prompting European officials to call for a lasting, toll‑free arrangement that would protect commercial vessels from geopolitical volatility [1].
“We welcome Iran's announcement that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened for commercial shipping, but we call for its unconditional reopening.”
The joint endorsement signals a unified European stance on keeping the Hormuz Strait open, which could pressure Iran to maintain unrestricted access and may lead to a formal, multinational security arrangement that stabilizes one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
