FT Report: France and Italy Quietly Seek Deal With Iran to Safeguard Shipping Through Hormuz

Map of Straight of Hormuz via Wikimedia Commons

Europe’s energy anxieties have surged to the forefront of international politics as tensions in the Persian Gulf threaten one of the most critical arteries of the global economy: the Strait of Hormuz.

In recent days, France and Italy have quietly opened diplomatic contacts with Iran in an attempt to secure safe passage for European commercial vessels through the strategic waterway.

The discussions, first reported by the Financial Times...