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France and the United Kingdom will co-host a conference on Friday in Paris aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the French presidency said Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair the meeting, which will bring together “non-belligerent countries willing to contribute” to a “multinational and purely defensive mission,” according to the Elysee.
The initiative aims to restore maritime traffic through the strategic waterway once security conditions allow.
Russia on Thursday dismissed the proposed mission as “unworkable.”
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said France had made “no attempt” to coordinate the plan with key parties, including Iran.
“Clearly, in its current form, the project is unworkable,” she said at a media briefing in Moscow.
“One gets the impression that in Paris, while simulating vigorous diplomatic activity, the top priority is to create the appearance of participation in international processes,” she added.
Zakharova also argued the initiative was aimed at boosting France’s global political standing.
The conference comes after U.S. and Iranian officials held talks in Pakistan over the weekend—the most significant engagement since the two countries severed diplomatic ties in 1979—but failed to reach an agreement.
A fragile two-week ceasefire, mediated by Pakistan on April 8, remains in place.
President Donald Trump later announced a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which took effect at 2 p.m. GMT on Monday.
The broader conflict began Feb. 28 with a U.S.-Israeli offensive on Iran that has killed more than 3,300 people.
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