European leaders hold crisis talks on Strait of Hormuz security

In France on 17 April 2026, Macron hosted Starmer in Paris for a conference on securing the Strait of Hormuz. German-language outlets say Merz also took part. Starmer said France and the UK will lead a multinational Hormuz mission 'as soon as conditions allow', and France 24 reported that Macron and Starmer announced a 'neutral' mission. Macron, Meloni, Starmer and Merz welcomed the reopening of the strait.

Bloomberg wrote that France and Germany are split on Europe's role in securing Hormuz. Izvestia, citing the Financial Times, wrote that Rutte and von der Leyen were left off the guest list. Asahi Shimbun noted that the United States kept its distance from the conference, and Tagesschau called the gathering a sign of unity.