G7 helps demine Strait
US seeks G7 help demining Strait of Hormuz as Iran peace deal progresses
A deal to end the Strait of Hormuz crisis could be signed within 24 hours, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on June 13 — and President Trump is bringing the question of who cleans up the mines to this weekend's G7 Summit. The UK and France have already volunteered to lead demining operations if a short-term peace agreement with Iran holds. The G7 Summit opens Monday, June 15, in Evian-les-Bains, France.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since late February, when Iran's Revolutionary Guard mined the waterway after a joint US-Israeli bombing campaign struck Iranian nuclear sites. About 20.3 million barrels of oil passed through the strait every day before the war. Now, roughly 2,000 commercial ships sit stranded or anchored outside the Persian Gulf, according to Wikipedia.
How Iran Shut Down the World's Key Oil Route
The crisis began on February 28, 2026, when the US and Israel bombed Iran's Isfahan nuclear facility. Iran responded within hours, mining the strait and broadcasting warnings over VHF radio that navigation was forbidden, according to Hill Dickinson. By March 4, Tehran had set up the Persian Gulf Strait Authority to control the waterway and block ships linked to the US, Israel, and their allies.
Iran then shifted from a full blockade to a toll system, charging ships up to $2 million per vessel — payable in Chinese yuan or cryptocurrency — for the right to pass, according to India Today. The US Treasury fired back, warning that any company paying Iran's tolls would face heavy sanctions. That left shipping firms stuck between two bad options and global oil prices spiking to $126 per barrel in March.
UK and France Step Up to Lead the Demining Mission
On April 17, French President Macron and UK Prime Minister Starmer brought 51 nations together in Paris to launch what they called an "independent, strictly defensive" mission to reopen the strait, according to GOV.UK. Macron has insisted the operation must stay "separate from the warring parties" so Iran does not treat European ships as enemy targets.
The UK has positioned its Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Lyme Bay as a "mothership" for autonomous mine-clearing systems. Starmer accused Iran of "holding the world's economy to ransom." Turkey has also offered to join the mission, according to The National, a sign of shifting regional alignments that analysts say could strengthen European strategic independence from the US.
Trump's Deal: What Iran Gets, What the US Demands
The White House describes the emerging agreement as "performance-based." Iran would only get sanctions relief after destroying enriched uranium stockpiles and letting inspectors into three damaged nuclear sites, according to Axios. Up to $20 billion in frozen Iranian assets could be released as part of the deal, according to Military.com.
Iran tells a different story. Iranian state media claims Washington must lift its naval blockade and hand over 50% of frozen funds before any nuclear talks even begin, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi insists the strait is "completely open" but says Iran has the right to charge ships for "services rendered." Vice President JD Vance pushed back on GOP critics of the deal, saying, "The president is going to get us a good outcome... Iranians are not receiving any cash."
G7 Summit Agenda: Mines, NATO Spending, and Skeptical Allies
Trump heads into the Evian-les-Bains summit pushing NATO members to hit a 5% GDP defense spending target. He has threatened to pull F-15E and F-16 squadrons from European bases if allies don't comply, according to The Bullet. The IEA has already released 400 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves to calm markets during the blockade, according to a G7 Presidency Statement.
European leaders are cautiously optimistic but wary. Analyst Liana Fix of the Council on Foreign Relations says allies are "hoping for the best but expecting the worst." Israel remains the loudest skeptic, with senior officials calling Iran's 60-day ceasefire offer a "delay tactic," according to the Jerusalem Post. The estimated cost of the crisis to the European economy has already reached $1.5 trillion, according to the Brookings Institution.
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