Around 40 countries are discussing joint action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Britain said on Thursday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said securing the waterway was a problem for other nations to resolve. British foreign minister Yvette Cooper chaired the virtual meeting, which included France, Germany, Canada, the United Arab Emirates and India and began around midday in London. “We are focusing on the diplomatic and international planning measures, including collective mobilization of our full range of diplomatic and economic tools and pressures,” Cooper said at the start of the meeting. The United States did not attend the talks, one official said. The discussions, involving representatives of some 40 countries, took place after Trump said on Wednesday evening that the Strait could open “naturally” and it was the responsibility of countries that rely on the waterway to ensure it was open. Focus on diplomatic and military options Iran has effectively shut down the key waterway, which carries about a fifth of the world’s total oil consumption, in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli strike
