Six Nations Pledge Hormuz Safe Passage

Six major international powers, including United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Netherlands, have issued a joint statement condemning Iran's recent attacks on unarmed commercial vessels and civilian oil and gas installations in the Gulf. These actions by Iran have led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes. The blockade has stranded approximately 20,000 seafarers on 3,200 vessels and caused significant disruption to global energy supply chains. The nations expressed deep concern over the escalating conflict, which began on February 28 with bombings of Iran by United States and Israel, and called on Iran to immediately cease its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks, and other attempts to block the Strait of Hormuz. They also welcomed the International Energy Agency's decision to authorize a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves to stabilize energy markets and pledged to take further steps, including engaging with key oil-producing nations to boost output. While expressing readiness to contribute to efforts for safe passage, they stopped short of committing to immediate military deployment due to the high threat level.