On 2 April 2026, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, along with representatives from over 40 nations, attended a meeting convened by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper to address what has rapidly become one of the most consequential maritime crises of the decade: Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait has been choked off by the US-Israel-Iran conflict, and the meeting aimed to explore ways to reopen it. The absence of a joint statement after the meeting pointed to the sensitivities involved and the reluctance of nations to support the hard steps discussed.

Following this meeting, a series of events made the situation more precarious. These included the United Nations Security Council vote of 7 April 2026, the collapse of the Pakistan-mediated April 2026 talks, the US blockade and escort operation “Project Freedom”, the deployment of the French aircraft carrier in the Red Sea and of a Royal Naval ship, and the defence ministers’ meeting co-chaired by UK and France on 12 May 2026 to discuss a European multinational escort framework.