ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Five European countries and Japan, in a joint statement on Thursday, said they were ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial vessels.

The statement from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan comes as Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway responsible for one-fifth of the world’s oil, as a measure in its war against Israel and the US, sharply raising global oil prices.

“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,” the joint statement read.

It also called on Iran to “immediately” cease laying mines in the sea, drone and missile attacks, “and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping.”

“Consistent with UNSC Resolution 2817, we emphasize that such interference with international shipping and the disruption of global energy supply chains constitute a threat to international peace and security. In this regard, we call for an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations,” it added.

The US and Israel have also bombed oil facilities in Iran, posing a risk of acidic rain and extreme levels of air pollution.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK “will not be drawn into the wider war,” echoing other European countries such as Germany. 

He said, however, that they were “working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable, collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impacts.”

It is unclear what the collective plan is as of the time of writing this report.