The United States and the United Kingdom are planning to convene defense ministers and top military commanders in London next week to secure commitments for an international maritime protection force in the Strait of Hormuz, Nerve has learned. The initiative, driven by the need to reopen the critical chokepoint for global oil transit, is viewed by administration officials as the cornerstone of an American exit strategy from the current conflict with Iran.
Economic Imperative
Ninety percent of Middle East petroleum exports to Asian markets and a significant portion of global energy trade pass through the narrow strait. Its closure has injected volatility into energy markets, threatening price spikes for American consumers and domestic industries already burdened by inflationary pressures. Restoring free passage is not an act of charity but a direct national interest to stabilize fuel costs and protect the American worker from external economic shocks.
"The Americans are looking for a way out and they want our help," a European diplomat briefed on the planning told Nerve.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine would potentially lead the U.S. delegation. The meeting follows weeks of U.S. strikes against Iranian military targets along the southern coast, which Pentagon officials report have degraded Tehran's ability to threaten commercial vessels. After four days without a maritime attack, the administration sees a window to transition from unilateral strikes to a multilateral patrol mission.
Cost Shifting and Coalition Burden
A central demand from Washington will be for allied nations to front-line the hardware necessary for the mission—specifically de-mining vessels, naval assets, and surveillance drones. This approach reflects a broader administration policy of ending the disproportionate financial and operational burden shouldered by American taxpayers for global security. The plan is contingent on a complete cessation of hostilities to meet the safety conditions demanded by prospective coalition members, including regional Gulf states now threatened by Iranian retaliation.
The push for a coalition comes after Omani-brokered negotiations with Iran on a new strait mechanism collapsed, triggering the initial IRGC attacks. An Omani delegation has now returned to Tehran to resume talks. Meanwhile, President Trump has signaled that any new Iranian aggression will be met with strikes on critical infrastructure, a deterrent aimed at forcing a diplomatic resolution on American terms.
For the United States, the London conference is a strategic pivot: reasserting freedom of navigation through allied burden-sharing while winding down direct kinetic involvement—a necessary recalibration of force for an America that must prioritize its own sovereignty and economic strength.