Iran warns 'crisis-makers' over Hormuz as UK, France propose multinational military mission

CAIRO – 4 July 2026: Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz is "not a theatre for the military display of extra-regional powers," after a joint British-French statement proposing a multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said security in the Strait of Hormuz should remain the responsibility of the coastal states.

He shared the British-French statement, warning "crisis-makers” in the strait of consequences.

"The security of Hormuz lies with the coastal states. The crisis-makers will be held accountable for the consequences of their adventurism. This is a serious warning," Gharibabadi said in a statement.

He added that Iran, which he described as "the responsible power and guarantor of the Strait's security," is closely monitoring any military activity in the waterway.

The remarks came after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron announced readiness to establish a multinational military mission to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The statement asserted that Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to help ensure the safety of navigation in its sovereign territorial waters.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints.

After the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Tehran largely closed the strait to global shipping before it was reopened under a US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in June.

Around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments used to pass through the narrow waterway before the US-Iran war, making any disruption a major concern for global energy markets.

Although shipping has continued, concerns remain over maritime security and the reported presence of naval mines, factors that have continued to weigh on confidence among shipping companies and insurers.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that France has deployed mine-countermeasure assets, including two minehunters, to the region in preparation for restoring safe navigation.

“Accompanied by two frigates and a maritime patrol aircraft, these assets are ready to contribute, alongside our partners, to the full resumption of navigation and to ensure the safety of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz," Macron said on X.