France and Britain are pulling together a coalition of more than 30 nations on Friday for a Parisian summit aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Neither the United States nor Israel or Iran have been invited to the first major European push to influence a war that was launched six weeks ago by a US-Israeli bombardment on Iran.

Europe insists it is not a party to the war, but as energy prices soar and munitions get diverted from Ukraine it is already paying the price.

China is among the Asian nations to have been invited – demarched by both Paris and London, it is understood – although it was unclear at what level it would attend, if at all.

Definitely on the guest list is a smattering of European leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and a host of Gulf and Asian states with a shared interest in restoring shipping through the strait.

“What we will want to do with our partners from Europe, Asia, the Indo-Pacific, Latin America, Africa, is in essence to bring together in order to build a credible proposal which is in essence that of a third way,” said an Elysee official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.