Washington: The Donald Trump administration is reaching out to other nations to build a multinational coalition aimed at reinstating safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a State Department cable obtained by Reuters.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio greenlit the Maritime Freedom Construct (MFC), according to the April 28 cable, which called it a collaborative effort between the State Department and the Pentagon.
Diplomatic and Military Coordination
“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.
The State Department’s
part would be to act as a liaison between allied nations and shipping companies, as the cable outlined, while the Pentagon’s role from CENTCOM’s Florida base would manage live maritime operations and liaise with ships passing through the strait.
The Wall Street Journal broke the story on Wednesday.
Embassies are instructed to convey the proposal verbally to allies by May 1, excluding Russia, China, Belarus, Cuba, and “other U.S. adversaries,” according to the cable.
Support might include diplomatic efforts, data exchange, sanctions backing, ship deployments, or additional aid, it noted.
“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 organizations,” the cable said.
“The MFC is distinct from the President’s Maximum Pressure campaign and from ongoing negotiations.”
Blockade Disrupts Global Energy Flows
Strait traffic, once handling one-fifth of global oil and gas, has dwindled sharply since the US-Israel strikes on Iran on February 28 prompted Tehran’s blockade.
This US initiative comes amid stalled peace talks, alongside American naval efforts to curb Iran’s oil shipments by blockading its ports.