Iran Warns UK, France Against Military Deployment in Strait Of Hormuz

TEHRAN - Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Bagheri Kani issued a stern official warning on Saturday against joint military operations planned by Britain and France to patrol the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the vital global shipping waterway should only be secured by littoral nations and rejecting any foreign military buildup in the Persian Gulf.

The diplomatic countermeasure came one day after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron released a joint statement, announcing plans to coordinate naval forces with Oman to safeguard unimpeded commercial navigation through the strait. The two European leaders said they stood ready to launch expanded multinational military patrols to deter vessel seizures and missile threats that have disrupted global oil trade over the past three months.

In a public statement posted on Iran's Foreign Ministry website, Bagheri Kani stressed that Iran bears primary responsibility for maritime safety in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-third of the world's seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes every year. He said external military deployments would only escalate regional tensions and create unnecessary security risks for neutral cargo ships, tankers and fishing boats.

"The Strait of Hormuz is not a venue for military posturing by powers thousands of miles away," the deputy foreign minister said. "Any military activity that destabilizes regional waters will bring consequences for those who initiate it. We urge London and Paris to abandon their patrol plans and resolve shipping disputes through diplomatic dialogue with coastal states."

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps released a separate military statement reinforcing the warning. It confirmed that naval and drone monitoring units across the Gulf have stepped up surveillance of all foreign warships entering regional waters, and will respond decisively to any actions that violate Iran's territorial waters or compromise its national security interests.

The UK and France first proposed a joint maritime protection mission back in April, after repeated drone and missile incidents targeting merchant vessels triggered surges in global oil prices. The two European countries have already dispatched extra destroyers and frigate ships to the Gulf, and plan to launch coordinated escort patrols starting mid-July.

Oman, a neutral mediator between Western powers and Iran, has remained cautious about the European military plan. Omani foreign ministry officials said Muscat welcomes efforts to stabilize shipping lanes but hopes to avoid any military escalation that could derail fragile de-escalation talks between Washington and Tehran.

Global energy markets reacted mildly to Iran's latest warning. Brent crude edged up 1.2% in early Asian trading on Sunday, as traders priced in renewed geopolitical risks to oil supply chains. Shipping firms have already raised marine insurance premiums for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz by nearly 28% since the start of July, with many carriers opting for longer, costlier alternate routes around the Arabian Peninsula.

International observers noted that the diplomatic standoff adds new pressure to ongoing indirect nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Tehran has repeatedly linked progress on nuclear talks to the withdrawal of foreign military assets from the Gulf and the rollback of unilateral Western sanctions on Iranian oil exports.

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a rapid appeal for restraint, calling on all parties to prioritize dialogue and avoid any military moves that could spark a wider regional conflict. UN maritime agencies are preparing a special emergency session this week to discuss coordinated neutral monitoring mechanisms for the Strait of Hormuz as an alternative to unilateral military patrols.