Europe, Japan, Canada pledge efforts to reopen Hormuz

Leading European nations, Japan and Canada said they were ready to support efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and to stabilise energy markets, Reuters reported.

According to a joint statement issued on Thursday, the countries condemned what they described as Iran’s actions disrupting commercial shipping and escalating tensions in the Gulf.

In the statement, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada said, “We condemn in the strongest terms recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf, attacks on civilian infrastructure including oil and gas installations, and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iranian forces."

"We express our deep concern about the escalating conflict. We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping, and to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 2817,” the statement added.