Twenty-seven nations have signed a joint statement affirming political support for an independent multinational military mission to secure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, co-led by the United Kingdom and France, the UK Defence Journal understands.

The statement, published on 14 May, follows a Defence Ministers’ summit convened by the UK and France on 12 May at which representatives from 38 nations gathered to announce their backing for the mission. The signatories include Albania, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Slovakia, and Sweden, alongside the UK and France.

The statement sets out that the mission will support civilian shipping, provide reassurance to commercial operators, and conduct mine clearance operations. It states that operations will only commence in a permissive environment and in full accordance with international law and national constitutions, and that the mission will maintain clear channels of communication and deconfliction with all relevant states. The signatories describe freedom of navigation as an obligation under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The joint statement is explicit that the mission will be distinct from any other military campaign and is intended to complement rather than replace ongoing diplomatic engagement and de-escalation efforts, which it describes as the primary focus. Nations are encouraged to make further contributions, with the statement noting that necessary national caveats and parliamentary procedures will apply.

The statement builds on a Leaders’ Level Summit co-chaired by the UK and France on 17 April, at which the political framework for the mission was first established.