The United States and Britain are organizing a high-level conference in London next week to assemble an international coalition aimed at securing commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, according to four sources with direct knowledge of the talks.
The meeting would bring together defense ministers and senior military commanders from Western powers and regional partners, though specific participants and the exact date remain unsettled. Defense Secretary Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine are expected to attend from the American side.
Control of the strait represents a linchpin for any U.S. diplomatic resolution to tensions with Iran and for stabilizing global energy supplies. The waterway has been a flashpoint for two weeks as Iranian forces attacked multiple vessels, triggering daily American strikes against Iranian military positions along the country's southern coast.
The escalation began after failed talks in Oman involving Iran and Qatar over new arrangements for the strait. When negotiations collapsed, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps opened fire on ships in the corridor. On Wednesday, President Trump threatened to bomb Iranian bridges and power infrastructure if the attacks continued. Tehran responded with counterthreats against infrastructure in Gulf states aligned with Washington.
Recent developments suggest a potential opening. No Iranian attacks on commercial vessels have occurred in the past four days. American defense officials remain divided on whether this reflects Tehran's depleted military capacity around the strait or a tactical pause. An Omani delegation arrived in Tehran on Friday to resume talks on reopening the waterway.
The London conference would build on earlier discussions the U.K. and France held with multiple governments about forming a maritime protection force. The U.S. wants allied nations to deploy assets including mine-clearing vessels, naval ships, and surveillance drones to secure shipping corridors.
But most countries have set one critical condition: fighting in the strait must stop before their forces can safely operate there. Washington is essentially seeking partner nations to help provide an exit from the confrontation while maintaining freedom of navigation.
White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment on the conference plans. The British embassy in Washington also had no statement.
Author James Rodriguez: "This coalition play is the administration's real strategy, and assembling it depends entirely on whether Iran actually holds fire."
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