On Tuesday, diplomats reported that France, in cooperation with the United States, had begun drafting a UN Security Council resolution on establishing an international mission to restore traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, UNN reports, citing Reuters.
Paris had previously made unsuccessful attempts to prepare such a resolution, but this new step resulted from talks between French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump, held on Monday evening on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"Several options were discussed," Macron said after meeting with the American leader at Trump Tower in New York.
"In the coming hours, we will work on diplomatic solutions that would allow us — even in the absence of a comprehensive agreement — to find ways to ensure the passage of more container ships and oil tankers."
According to diplomats, Paris hopes to present the draft resolution to the Security Council soon, although it has not specified a particular timeframe.
Previous attempts at the UN failed to win the support of China and Russia — permanent members of the Security Council with veto power — due to concerns about bias against Tehran.
However, amid a sharp rise in global oil prices and fears that the advance of Houthi rebels in Yemen could threaten the strategic corridor in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, hope has emerged that a compromise can be reached this time.
Diplomats said the resolution would focus on separating the issue of the waterway's security from the broader tensions in relations with Iran, as well as emphasizing the shared interests of all states in preserving freedom of navigation and access to energy resources.
UN member states will coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz without taking an aggressive position toward Iran, criticizing the United States, or linking the issue to other regional conflicts, diplomats said.
"France seeks to work with the Americans and its partners on a Security Council resolution that would guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," a French diplomatic source said.