US Allies Weigh Iran Outreach and Sanctions to Open Hormuz (1)

A coalition of US allies is preparing a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and weighing potential sanctions on Tehran if the waterway remains closed.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will chair a virtual meeting on Thursday with counterparts from some 35 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and the United Arab Emirates to discuss a plan to restore freedom of navigation in the strait. The US is not due to attend.

With the conflict now in its second month, re-opening the Strait of Hormuz — which in peacetime handles about a quarter of ...