US seeks coalition to restore navigation in Strait of Hormuz

The administration of Donald Trump is seeking to enlist international partners to form a coalition aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters.

The cable, dated April 28, states that Marco Rubio has approved the creation of the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), described as a joint initiative between the US Department of State and the Pentagon.

“The MFC constitutes a critical first step in the establishment of a post-conflict maritime security architecture for the Middle East. This framework is essential to ensuring long-term energy security, protecting critical maritime infrastructure, and maintaining navigational rights and freedoms in vital sea lanes,” the cable said.

According to the document, the State Department-led component would function as the diplomatic hub coordinating between partner countries and the global shipping industry. Meanwhile, the Pentagon’s role—operating out of US Central Command headquarters in Florida—would involve coordinating real-time maritime traffic and maintaining direct communication with vessels transiting the strait.

The cable instructs U.S. embassies to deliver a formal demarche orally to partner nations by May 1, while excluding Russia, China, Belarus, Cuba and “other U.S. adversaries.”

It notes that participation in the initiative could take multiple forms, including diplomacy, intelligence and information sharing, enforcement of sanctions, naval deployments, or other types of support.

“We welcome all levels of engagement and do not expect your country to shift naval assets and resources away from existing regional maritime constructs and organisations,” the cable said, adding that “the MFC is distinct from the President’s Maximum Pressure campaign and from ongoing negotiations.”

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — once responsible for carrying about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas — has slowed dramatically since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, followed by Tehran’s blockade of the waterway.

By Tamilla Hasanova