European leaders call for immediate reopening of Hormuz Strait without tolls

French, British, German and Italian leaders on Friday called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz "with no tolls and no restrictions" as the UK and France will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation "as soon as conditions allow."

The Strait of Hormuz should be reopened immediately "with no tolls and no restrictions," urged French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

The leaders' remarks came during a joint news conference following an international meeting in Paris co-chaired by the UK and France to discuss a proposed maritime initiative aimed at securing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Starmer confirmed that the UK and France will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of navigation "as soon as conditions allow.

"This will be strictly peaceful and defensive as a mission to reassure commercial shipping and support mine clearance," he noted.

The British premier highlighted that the Strait of Hormuz should be reopened immediately "with no tolls and no restrictions."

He noted that partners also need to manage the economic shock by avoiding unnecessary trade restrictions.

Macron calls for pre-war passage conditions

For his part, the French president pointed to serious global consequences of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and called for the restoration of the free passage conditions that were in force before the war.

He also urged all parties for the "full, immediate, and unconditional" reopening of the strait.

"We all oppose any restrictions or any conventional regime that would, in practice, amount to an attempt to privatize the strait, as well as any toll system," Macron also noted.

Welcoming the ceasefire between Iran and the US, along with the recently announced ceasefire in Lebanon, Macron described the recent developments as "encouraging."

"We further welcome the announcement, made in return as part of this ceasefire, of the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran. All of this is moving in the right direction," he added.

The French president further vowed to work closely with shipowners, insurers, and other maritime professionals to provide them with the visibility needed to resume traffic as soon as possible.

"We will strengthen and accelerate the planning efforts we have already launched, coordinated with the United Kingdom, to enable the establishment of a neutral mission -- clearly distinct from the belligerents -- aimed at accompanying and securing merchant vessels transiting through the Gulf," he said.

Germany ready to contribute to postwar mission in strait

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany is ready to contribute to a postwar mission in the Strait of Hormuz, including mine clearance and maritime reconnaissance, but reiterated that several political and legal conditions must be met.

"We are prepared to make a military contribution to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz after the end of hostilities, once a sound legal basis exists, such as a UN Security Council resolution," Merz said.

"To do so, I need a decision by the federal government, a mandate from the German parliament, and a viable military concept. In our view, such participation could consist of mine clearance and maritime reconnaissance," he added.

Merz said Germany will participate in the upcoming military planning discussions on a possible international mission, and also underlined that Berlin wants to see US participation in these talks.

Meanwhile, the Italian prime minister also highlighted the importance of reopening the strait, and mentioned that the Paris meeting was "particularly productive."

"We have to make sure that there are no mines in the strait," she noted, stating that their shared efforts are in everyone’s interests.