France, Germany, Italy, and the UK speak out: Call for urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

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As the US-Iran ceasefire memorandum of understanding is announced, major European powers collectively spoke out, demanding the prompt and comprehensive restoration of normal passage along this global energy artery.

According to Xinhua News Agency, the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement "warmly welcoming" the announcement of the US-Iran agreement and urging for the "urgent reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, to achieve unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation." The four nations also pledged to participate in a strict defensive, independent multilateral mission to provide security guarantees for commercial shipping and conduct mine-clearing operations.

Joint Statement from Four European Nations, Commitment to Mine Clearance and Escort

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the UK explicitly stated in the joint statement that they would participate in a "strictly defensive and independent mission," which covers providing safety guarantees for commercial shipping and conducting mine-clearing activities. The statement said the mission would proceed "in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements."

The four leaders also indicated their "willingness to lift relevant sanctions based on Iran’s adoption of clear and verifiable steps in its nuclear program," and stressed their commitment to cooperate with the United States, Iran, and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Tehran will never acquire nuclear weapons.

It is noteworthy that the above European countries had previously pledged to participate in a defensive escort mission led by the UK and France, but the leaders made clear that the mission would not proceed while the war continued. The end of the conflict and the conclusion of the agreement have cleared the main obstacles for the launch of this multilateral action.

Trump Previously Criticized European Lack of Support

In the early stages of the war, Trump publicly criticized European nations, saying they refused to intervene to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also challenged several European leaders prior to the G7 summit, directly linking the pressure from higher oil prices due to the Strait’s closure with Europe's inaction. According to sources, Trump hoped to finalize the agreement framework before the Evian G7 summit in France, so as to gain the upper hand when meeting European leaders.

The release of the joint statement from the four countries signals a softening of publicly visible frictions between the US and Europe on the Iran issue, with both sides regrouping their stances on the two core topics of nuclear non-proliferation and shipping security.

The announcement of the deal caused immediate, significant volatility in energy markets, but analysts generally believe that the full restoration of passage through the Strait of Hormuz still faces substantial obstacles. US Vice President JD Vance listed the "immediate reopening of the Strait" as the top core element of the agreement, but also admitted that "learning the way to peace takes a little time."

The strait still needs to be cleared of naval mines. Mehdi Mohammadi, the strategic adviser and head of Iran's negotiation team, revealed that removing restrictions on maritime transport is the third phase of the memorandum framework, while nuclear negotiations are postponed to a later stage.

Prediction market Polymarket data show there is only a 43% chance that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be fully restored before July 15. Bob McNally, president of Rapidan Energy, previously warned that if the agreement fails, Brent oil prices could rise above the $100 range, and average US retail gasoline prices could break the historical high of $5 per gallon. The current national average gasoline price in the US is $4.07 per gallon.

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