British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK and France will lead a multinational mission to “protect freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as conditions permit, Al Jazeera reports.

Speaking in Paris, Starmer has said the mission will be “strictly peaceful and defensive” to reassure commercial shipping and support mine-clearance efforts.

He has invited other countries to join, saying that roughly a dozen countries committed to contributing assets.