President Trump appears to be trying to rope the Europeans into helping the US re-open the Strait of Hormuz by force. Citing unnamed European diplomats and other unnamed sources, Axios reported yesterday that the U.S. and U.K. are planning to convene a high-level meeting in London next week that will focus on a potential international coalition to protect maritime shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,
Axios notes that there have been no ship attacks by the Iranians in four days. The real reason for this seems to be not known–how many ships may have slipped through the strait is not reported–but some U.S. defense officials claim the reason is that Iran’s military capability around the strait has been all but eliminated due to the U.S. strikes. However, other officials say Iran is still capable of attacking ships in the area.
The U.S. wants to build on discussions that the U.K. and France had with multiple countries in recent months about a potential international coalition for the Strait of Hormuz, the sources told Axios. The sources said the U.S. wants its allies to send assets to the region like de-mining vessels, naval vessels and drones to help secure shipping lanes.
