France drafts UN resolution on Hormuz mission with US backing

France has begun drafting a United Nations Security Council resolution in coordination with the United States that would establish an international mission to restore shipping movement through the Strait of Hormuz, according to diplomats.

The initiative follows a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump on Monday evening, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Speaking after the talks at Trump Tower, Macron said several options had been discussed. He said diplomatic solutions would be pursued over the coming hours that could, even without a comprehensive agreement, open ways for more container ships and oil tankers to transit the waterway.

Diplomats said Paris hopes to circulate a draft resolution to the Security Council soon, though they did not provide a timeline.

Previous attempts at the UN have failed to win backing from veto-holding powers China and Russia, which have raised concerns about bias against Tehran. But with oil prices rising globally and worries that an advance by Houthi rebels in Yemen could threaten the strategic Bab el-Mandeb corridor, diplomats see hope that a compromise can be reached this time.

The proposed resolution would focus on separating the waterway's security from broader tensions with Iran and emphasise the shared interest of all nations in preserving freedom of navigation and access to energy supplies, the diplomats said.

Under the plan, UN member states would coordinate efforts to protect commercial shipping through Hormuz without adopting an offensive posture toward Iran, criticising the United States, or tying the issue to other regional disputes.

A French diplomatic source said Paris wants to work with the Americans and its partners on a Security Council resolution guaranteeing freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.