But the exact details of a potential international mission remain sketchy.
After the meeting in Paris on Friday, which included leaders from more than two dozen countries via videoconference, Meloni offered to deploy Italian frigates to the region. Germany on Thursday said it would contribute minesweepers.
“It’s going in the right direction, even if the opening of Hormuz is conditional to coordination by the Iranian authorities and the United States has said it is going to maintain a targeted blockade,” Macron said.
“Recent developments are encouraging but we must take them with caution,” the French leader added.
But Europeans are at odds about whether the United States should be included in the mission, with France insisting the mission should only include non-belligerent countries, and Germany keen on including an American contingent.
On Friday, that rift still looked open. Merz said it would be “desirable” to include the U.S., while Macron insisted the coalition should be “neutral and separate from the belligerents.”
