Middle East — 2026-07-25

US and UK Planning International Conference on Strait of Hormuz Maritime Coalition

BLUFWashington's pivot toward a multilateral naval coalition reflects an effort to distribute the cost of securing the strait before allied governments can confirm Iranian strike capability is eliminated rather than paused.

The US and UK are planning a high-level meeting in London next week to discuss forming an international coalition to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing two European diplomats and two other sources 1. Bloomberg reported separately that Defense Secretary Hegseth pushed his UK counterpart to host the summit 2, and Axios reported the agenda could bring together defense ministers and top military commanders from Western and regional countries, potentially including Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine 1. The date and agenda remain unsettled, and a White House official confirmed only that the two countries want to convene the conference next week 1. Axios reported no Iranian attacks on commercial vessels over the prior four days, with US defense officials divided on whether Iran's strike capability near the strait has been eliminated or merely degraded 13.

Analysis
The push for a London summit signals Washington's search for a multilateral exit from direct confrontation with Iran, shifting responsibility for securing the strait onto allied naval and de-mining assets rather than continued US strikes. Convening depends on European and regional governments agreeing to commit forces before fighting has demonstrably ended, a precondition several states have already set. The four-day pause in attacks does not resolve whether Iran's strike capability near the strait has been eliminated or merely suppressed, and that unresolved question shapes how much risk allies accept before committing ships to the coalition. This assessment is held with moderate confidence, reflecting convergent primary Axios and Bloomberg reporting on the initiative, offset by the absence of a confirmed date, agenda, or committed attendee beyond the two sponsoring governments.

4 sources