Will India send troops to Strait of Hormuz? London military meet to protect navigation in 'global chicken neck' begins today

Britain is set to host military planners from over 30 nations in in northwest London on Wednesday for two days. The global community will gather for talks on a multinational mission led by the UK and France to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, said the UK defense ministry. The talks are set to happen at UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters in northwest London. The latest talks follow and will be international talks co-chaired by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris last Friday that brought together over 40 nations. Will India attend the vital talks? Here's all we know.

Protecting freedom in Strait of Hormuz

The talks come as Washington and Tehran on Tuesday (Apr 21) agreed to extend the two week ceasefire as diplomacy continues amid Iran war. Meanwhile, the US blockade of Iranian ports will "continue", announced US president Donald Trump.

Iran's central military command announced on Saturday it would resume "strict management" of the Strait of Hormuz, reversing a decision to unblock the strategic channel as part of negotiations with Washington. This comes as the US continues to blockade Iran's ports despite repeated warnings from Tehran.

Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which a fifth of the world's oil supplies transit has been at the center of the ongoing conflict that started on Feb 28. Last week, Iran opened the Strait which had faced a blockade since early March, only to shut it again within hours after accusing the US of breaking a promise by continuing its naval blockade of ships sailing to and from Iran's ports. Iran's central military command in a statement said that until the United States restores freedom of movement for all vessels visiting Iran, "the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain strictly controlled," the statement said.

Britain and France push for lasting peace in Hormuz

Defence Minister John Healey in a statement said the goal of the London talks was to turn "diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire," expressing confidence that "real progress can be made."

Britain and France insist that the proposed force is entirely defensive, one that would only be deployed once a lasting peace agreement is in place.

Will India attend?

India, which recently flagged the "unacceptable" disruption of the Strait of Hormuz at the UN General Assembly has been invited to join the Hormuz protection initiative, confirmed the MEA last week.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed the invitation at a weekly press briefing Friday, saying India would "inform you on its role and what was discussed at the meeting" once it had more clarity.

India's participation, if it materialises, would carry significant weight. The country depends on imports for over 88 percent of its energy needs, with the Persian Gulf, and the Strait of Hormuz specifically, serving as the primary corridor for those supplies. The strait's disruption since late February has already pushed global oil prices above $100 a barrel, creating acute pressure on import-dependent economies across Asia.

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