Over 40 countries gathered on the 11th to discuss the plan led by Britain and France for escorting ships in the Strait of Hormuz

More than 40 countries held a meeting on Monday (May 11th) to outline how they would contribute to a military plan led by Europe, aimed at escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. This operation will commence after the United States and Iran reach a stable ceasefire agreement.

Bloomberg reported that the participating countries are expected to provide mine-clearing, escort and air patrol capabilities as part of a defensive naval mission led by the UK and France, with the aim of enhancing the confidence of merchant ships in passing through this crucial waterway.

British Defence Secretary Hilli said: "We are converting the diplomatic agreements into practical military plans in order to restore confidence in shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."

Sheila will co-chair the meeting on the 11th with French Defense Minister Ruff.

The Iranian deputy foreign minister, Gharibabadie, warned the day before that any such plan would be regarded as an escalation of the US-Israeli war against Iran, and would be met with a military response from Iran.

Gharibabadie posted on the X platform: "Any military deployment outside the region under the pretext of 'protecting shipping' is nothing but an exacerbation of the crisis and militarization of this crucial waterway. Only Iran can ensure the security of this strait and does not allow any country to interfere."

He said that Iran's response would be "decisive and prompt".

On the 10th, Iran officially submitted its response to the latest proposal from the US aimed at ending the war to the Pakistani mediators. However, US President Trump stated that Iran's latest response was "completely unacceptable".