European governments are preparing a multinational naval mission to protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after fighting tied to the Iran conflict disrupted traffic on the vital route. Military planners from roughly 30 countries met in London to sketch how such an operation would function and how merchant vessels could be shielded from attacks.
The proposal, driven by the United Kingdom and France, is explicitly defensive: forces would focus on protecting ships under threat rather than conducting strikes on land. Both capitals say deployment would follow a negotiated end to active hostilities between the United States and Iran.
In practice the mission would respond to attacks on vessels—defending ships targeted by missiles, drones or fast attack craft—rather than mounting offensive operations ashore. Planners say the force would likely need frigates or destroyers with layered air-defence systems and dedicated mine-countermeasure capabilities, including unmanned mine-hunting drones to find and neutralize naval mines.
The so-called European Three (Germany, France and the UK) are expected to carry much of the military load. Germany has signaled it could provide mine-clearance ships and maritime reconnaissance assets, subject to parliamentary approval; Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stressed the necessity of a clear legal mandate before any deployment. France already maintains sizable naval forces in the region—including warships, the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and amphibious assault ships—and could reallocate units from the eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea to support the effort.
London says more than a dozen countries have expressed interest in contributing but has not listed concrete pledges; although the UK fields advanced destroyers, questions remain about availability and readiness. Observers warn the mission could stretch European naval capabilities at a time when tensions and demands closer to home are high, notably given Russia-related threats in the Baltic and North Atlantic.
Air-defence systems improve protection but do not guarantee it—large-scale drone attacks and swarm tactics remain a serious challenge. Analysts describe a layered threat environment that ranges from slow, low-altitude loitering munitions to high-speed anti-ship missiles and contact mines.
Most experts contend that naval deployments alone cannot produce a permanent guarantee of safe passage: only a diplomatic settlement in which Tehran chooses to stand down is likely to end attacks comprehensively. To widen support and increase diplomatic leverage, France and the UK are trying to build a broader coalition beyond Europe, engaging partners such as India—whose seafarers make up about 10% of the world’s merchant fleet—and South Korea.
Some states, including India, Pakistan and China, are also pursuing bilateral arrangements with Tehran to maintain trade flows, but those efforts have yielded only limited volumes so far. For now, Europe is preparing a limited, defensive naval operation while pushing for a political solution; whether enough countries will endorse and sustain that approach remains uncertain.