France has begun drafting a UN Security Council resolution, in coordination with the United States, aimed at establishing an international mission to restore freedom of movement through the Strait of Hormuz, diplomats said on Tuesday. Paris has previously failed to build support for a resolution on the strategically vital waterway.
The latest initiative follows talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump on Monday evening on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “Several options were discussed,” Macron said after meeting Trump at Trump Tower in New York.
“We will be working on diplomatic solutions over the coming hours, which could make it possible, even without a comprehensive agreement, to find ways of allowing more container ships and oil tankers to transit.” Previous efforts at the United Nations have failed to win the backing of veto-wielding powers China and Russia, amid concerns that such measures could be perceived as biased against Tehran.
The latest push comes as oil prices surge and concerns grow that an advance by Houthi rebels in Yemen could threaten the strategic Bab el-Mandeb corridor, raising hopes that a compromise can be reached. The proposed resolution would seek to separate the security of the Strait of Hormuz from wider tensions with Iran, while emphasising the shared interest of nations in preserving freedom of navigation and access to energy supplies.
Under the plan, UN member states would coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping through the strait without adopting an offensive posture towards Iran, criticising the United States or linking the issue to other regional disputes, officials said.