LONDON, April 22, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Britain will host military planners from over 30 countries for two days of talks starting Wednesday on a multinational mission led by the UK and France to protect navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the defense ministry said.

The ministry said the meeting would "advance detailed planning" on reopening the Strait when conditions allow, following "progress" at talks in Paris last week.

"The task today and tomorrow is to translate diplomatic consensus into a joint plan to safeguard freedom of navigation in the Strait and support a lasting ceasefire," Defence Minister John Healey said in a statement.

He said he was confident "real progress can be made".

The conference comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron co-chaired international talks on the strategic strait in Paris on Friday that brought together over 40 countries.

Britain and France emphasised the force would be entirely defensive and only deployed once lasting peace in the region was agreed.

The United States and Iran, as warring parties, did not attend the talks.

The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran was due to expire at midnight GMT Tuesday, but US President Donald Trump said shortly before the deadline that he was extending it to give more time for negotiations.

Both sides have accused the other of breaches, and Trump said he was maintaining a US blockade of Iranian ports.

Downing Street had announced ahead of the Paris meeting that there would be a military planning summit this week without giving details.

The conference will take place at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in northwest London, the UK's command centre for overseeing and managing joint military operations.