NATO Will Discuss Security in the Strait of Hormuz

Foreign ministers from NATO countries and Gulf states will meet on Tuesday on the sidelines of the Alliance summit in Ankara to discuss tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and plans for a multinational maritime mission. However, diplomats say Iran's continued refusal to cooperate has reduced hopes of breaking the deadlock.

France and the United Kingdom will present a proposal for a mission aimed at ensuring safe navigation through the strategic waterway. According to diplomats the long-term success of such an operation would require Tehran's cooperation, while Iran has repeatedly rejected the presence of foreign military forces in the region.

The meeting comes after weeks of heightened tensions, despite an interim peace agreement between the United States and Iran. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency reported on Tuesday that a tanker was struck by a missile east of Oman's Limah. Earlier, Axios reported that Iran's Revolutionary Guards fired at least two missiles at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which around one-fifth of the world's oil supplies normally pass, remains partially disrupted by the ongoing blockade, posing a major challenge to global energy markets and maritime trade. Several NATO allies have already deployed minehunters, warships and support vessels to the region.

(Reuters, bak)