Lithuania weighs joining US-led coalition aiming to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Lithuania is weighing a US proposal to join an international coalition aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, where vessel traffic remains stalled amid the ongoing US-Iran standoff, public broadcaster LRT reported on Thursday.

“We have received a proposal from the United States of America to join the coalition for the restoration of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; I intend to submit this proposal to the State Defense Council shortly,” President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters.

Highlighting that a mandate from parliament would be required for participation to be possible, he reaffirmed that ensuring freedom of navigation in the waterway would be a peaceful mission.

“We stand in solidarity and we certainly understand that we must not only demand and take, but also give,” Nauseda noted.

The Wall Street Journal, citing an internal State Department cable sent to US embassies, reported that the Trump administration is seeking to build an international coalition to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The outlet reported that Washington has asked its diplomats to press foreign governments into joining a new alliance called the Maritime Freedom Construct, which would coordinate information sharing, diplomatic efforts, and sanctions enforcement to reopen the critical chokepoint for around 20% of global oil and LNG supplies.

The US and Israel began strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation from Tehran against US allies in the Gulf and the closure of the strait. The war is currently on hold and efforts to end it permanently, which includes reopening of the key waterway, are underway.