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## Overview Following the US naval blockade of Iran and closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the United Kingdom and France moved to coordinate a joint response focused on restoring freedom of navigation. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed on the strategic importance of the Strait for global trade and energy supplies, and committed to work together on resuming navigation, according to Starmer's office (TASS, April 13). Separately, the Pentagon clarified that the US would allow Strait of Hormuz transit to and from non-Iranian ports (TASS, April 13), suggesting the blockade is specifically targeted at Iranian-origin or Iranian-destination shipping rather than being a total closure. ## Key Developments - **UK-France Joint Statement**: Starmer and Macron agreed on the Strait's strategic importance and committed to coordinating on navigation resumption (TASS, April 13). - **US Partial Carve-Out**: Pentagon confirmed transit would be permitted for non-Iranian port traffic (TASS, April 13), narrowing the scope of the blockade. - **Switzerland Mediation Offer**: Switzerland separately offered to act as mediator between the US and Iran following Islamabad talks, per foreign ministry spokesman Michael Steiner (TASS, April 13). ## Strategic Context The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20% of global oil trade. A prolonged blockade or closure creates cascading effects across energy markets, aviation fuel supply chains, agricultural commodity logistics, and European industrial input costs. See existing pages: *Strait of Hormuz Closure – European Aviation Fuel Supply Crisis (2026)*, *Strait of Hormuz Closure – North American Oil Arbitrage Impact*, *Strait of Hormuz Closure – Asian Agricultural Supply Chain Crisis (2026)*. UK and French coordination reflects concern that a purely US-managed blockade could expose allied economies to collateral economic damage while excluding them from diplomatic resolution. Both countries have significant tanker traffic and energy import exposure. ## Open Questions - Whether UK/France coordination will extend to naval presence or remain diplomatic. - Whether the non-Iranian port carve-out will be respected in practice by CENTCOM enforcement. - How Switzerland's mediation offer interacts with ongoing US-Iran negotiations. ## Status - UK-France coordination: Confirmed at leader level (TASS, April 13) - US blockade carve-out: Pentagon confirmed (TASS, April 13) - Switzerland mediation: Offered, not yet accepted (TASS, April 13)