STORY: French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to the Elysee Palace on Friday (April 17) for a meeting on the Strait of Hormuz.

France and Britain are chairing the meeting, while officials from across Europe, Asia and the Middle East are joining by video conference.

The meeting, involving around 40 countries, is aimed at signalling to the United States that some of its closest allies are ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow.

Iran has largely closed the strait to ships other than its own since the start of U.S.-Israeli air strikes on February 28. On Monday (April 13), Washington imposed a blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.

Britain said Friday's talks would feed directly into a multinational military planning meeting next week.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Merz and Meloni arrive in Paris to join meeting on Strait of Hormuz

VIDEO SHOWS: GERMAN CHANCELLOR, FRIEDRICH MERZ, AND ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, ARRIVING IN ELYSEE PALACE / START OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ MEETING WITH FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER

SHOWS: PARIS, FRANCE (APRIL 17, 2026) (REUTERS - Access All)

1. CAR CARRYING GERMAN CHANCELLOR, FRIEDRICH MERZ, ARRIVING AT ELYSEE PALACE COURTYARD

2. FRENCH PRESIDENT, EMMANUEL MACRON, STANDING ON ELYSEE STEPS

3. MERZ GETTING OUT OF CAR, BEING WELCOMED BY MACRON / BOTH WALKING UP STEPS, POSING FOR PHOTOS, THEN ENTERING ELYSEE

4. FRENCH AND EUROPEAN FLAGS

5. CAR CARRYING ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER, GIORGIA MELONI, ARRIVING / MELONI GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE, BEING WELCOMED BY MACRON / BOTH WALKING UP STEPS, POSING FOR PHOTOS, ENTERING ELYSEE

6. REPUBLICAN GUARDS

7. BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER, YVETTE COOPER, ARRIVING

8. FLAGS ON ELYSEE FAÇADE

9. MACRON AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER, KEIR STARMER, SEATED BEFORE START OF MEETING ON STRAIT OF HORMUZ

10. LEADERS SEATED / MELONI SEATED / STARMER, MACRON AND MERZ SEATED

11. LEADERS MEETING