FILE PHOTO: A formation of Avenger-class mine countermeasure ships USS Devastator (MCM 6), USS Gladiator (MCM 11), USS Sentry (MCM 3), USS Dextrous (MCM 13), the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) and an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter assigned to the “Blackhawks” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HSM) 15 maneuver in the Arabian Sea, July 6, 2019. Picture taken July 6, 2019. Antonio Gemma Moré/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS- THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo
PARIS, April 17 (Reuters) – European countries such as Belgium, the Netherlands and France have mine clearance capacity which could help secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin told French TV station TF1 on Friday.
“There are capabilities to provide fully supported escort services – that is to say, in no way offensive, of course – for ships to ensure safe passage through the strait; that is what will be debated today in Paris,” she added.
France and Britain are set to chair on Friday a meeting of around 40 countries aimed at signaling to the United States that some of its closest allies are ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran and Trump Declare Hormuz ‘Open,’ But Route, Mines, and U.S. Blockade Cloud Reality
The Strait typically carries about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows, once conditions allow.
(Reporting by Inti Landauro, editing by Alessandro Parodi)
(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026.
Read next: Shipping Industry Pushes Back on ‘Open’ Hormuz Narrative as Risks Persist
Updated: May 27, 2026 (Originally published April 17, 2026)
This article contains reporting from Reuters, published under license.
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A cargo of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve headed to California this month for the first time ever, ship tracking service Kpler said.
The world may need to find a way to get by on less oil and gas if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed much longer dueto the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan said on Wednesday.
Iran said the United States had violated a ceasefire after the U.S. conducted what it called defensive strikes in southern Iran, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said negotiating a deal to halt the conflict could "take a few days."
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