Fidan attends UK-organized online meeting on Strait of Hormuz crisis

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday attended an online meeting on the situation on Strait of Hormuz, the critical Mideast waterway that has been largely blocked for weeks. According to Turkish diplomatic sources, the meeting was organized by the United Kingdom. The sources gave no additional information or any other details on the meeting.

Strait of Hormuz crisis

Iran has maintained effective control of the Strait of Hormuz for weeks since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing over 1,340 people according to Iranian authorities, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and more than 150 schoolgirls. The strait, through which roughly 20 million barrels of oil normally passed daily, has been effectively disrupted since early March, with approximately 1,900 vessels stranded and global oil prices above $116 per barrel.

Iran's demands

Tehran has demanded respect for its jurisdiction over the strait as part of any peace agreement. Iranian officials have proposed legislation imposing tolls on transit, potentially in yuan or riyal, challenging dollar dominance in energy trade. Iran has allowed passage only for vessels from countries it considers "friendly."

Regional diplomacy

Fidan's participation in the UK-organized meeting reflects Türkiye's ongoing diplomatic engagement on the crisis. Ankara has maintained communication channels with all parties while advocating for de-escalation and a return to dialogue. The meeting likely addressed potential international efforts to reopen the strategic waterway.

Conflict context

The US and Israel have maintained airstrikes on Iran since Feb. 28. Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. The conflict has expanded to Lebanon, where over 1,200 have been killed since March 2.