European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASoH)

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Western powers and Japan pledge to secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shuts the world's most important oil chokepoint

Existing European framework for Hormuz operations, potential basis for expanded mission

Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, 2026, after US-Israeli strikes, cutting off roughly a fifth of global oil supply. The US-Iran ceasefire, extended by Trump on April 21, holds formally. But Iran's May 10 counter-proposal demanded Iranian sovereignty over the strait, an end to all US sanctions, and an immediate lifting of the naval blockade. Trump called the response "totally unacceptable," and roughly 1,500 commercial vessels remain trapped inside the Persian Gulf.

Updated May 30