Britain will convene a meeting of 35 countries, excluding the United States.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has recently stated that he will convene a meeting of more than thirty countries to discuss how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a crucial shipping channel that has been blocked due to the conflict between the United States and Iran. Starmer indicated that the online meeting, to be held on Thursday, April 2nd local time, will be hosted by Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. "The meeting will assess all possible diplomatic and political measures we can take to restore freedom of navigation, ensure the safety of stranded ships and crew, and resume the transport of vital supplies." It is worth noting that the United States is not participating in this meeting. President Trump previously stated on social media that protecting this waterway is not the responsibility of the United States and advised its allies to go to the Strait of Hormuz to "grab the oil" themselves. Some action The volatile situation in the Middle East may lead to more potential attacks by Iran on commercial ships, resulting in almost complete disruption of all maritime activities on this shipping route connecting the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world's oceans. This has cut off a vital passage for global oil transportation, leading to a significant increase in oil prices. Currently, no country is willing to forcibly open this strait through military means due to ongoing conflict and the threat posed by Iran with anti-ship missiles, drones, attack boats, and mines on passing vessels. In light of this, Starmer pointed out that military planners from various countries will collectively discuss how to ensure maritime security after the fighting ends. Meanwhile, 35 countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, have signed a declaration demanding that Iran cease its attempts to block the strait and pledging to make appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the waterway. Thursday's meeting is seen as a first step, with further "official-level meetings" planned to discuss specific details. This article is reprinted from "Cai Lianshe" with editing by GMTEight: Feng Qiuyi.