French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are chairing a meeting of around 40 so-called “non-belligerent” countries this Friday to discuss securing the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of this vital route—now subject to both an Iranian blockade and a retaliatory US one—has triggered what is being described as the worst oil price shock in history. The Paris meeting, with many participants joining via video conference, marks the latest effort by sidelined nations to mitigate the impact of a conflict they neither initiated nor joined. France and the UK say they intend to focus on strictly defensive and diplomatic measures, as Eliza Herbert examines how significant the talks are expected to be.
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