European powers are drawing up a postwar plan to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz that would deliberately exclude the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The report cited officials and diplomats familiar with the discussions.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday the proposal envisions an international defensive coalition that would not include “belligerent” parties in the conflict, specifically the U.S., Israel, and Iran, the Journal reported.

European diplomats told the Journal that the effort is designed to reassure commercial shippers that the vital corridor will be safe to use once hostilities end, even as officials acknowledge that a ceasefire could still be some time away.

The plan would rely on European command structures rather than U.S. leadership, a notable shift that underscores growing trans-Atlantic tensions, according to the Journal.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil supplies and a major share of liquefied natural gas flows, making it critical to global energy stability and price formation, according to analysts and reporting cited by the Journal.

Shipping through the narrow waterway has been severely disrupted by mines, missile threats and rising insurance costs, leaving commercial traffic constrained and raising fears of broader energy market shocks, the Journal reported.

At the same time, the United States has been conducting a naval campaign aimed at restricting vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports as part of its broader pressure strategy on Tehran, a policy U.S. officials say is intended to choke off Iranian oil revenue while still allowing transit through the wider strait, according to reporting referenced by the Journal.

The United Kingdom and France are spearheading the European initiative, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer set to join Macron this week in convening dozens of countries for talks on policing the strait after the war, the Journal reported.

French and British officials said the U.S. has not been invited to participate, while invitations were extended to countries including China and India, though their participation remains uncertain, the Journal reported.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the mission would only deploy “once calm has been restored and hostilities have ceased,” adding that coordination with regional states including Iran and Oman would be essential, the Journal reported.

That condition suggests Tehran’s approval would likely be necessary before any operation proceeds, officials told the Journal.

Germany is weighing participation, with a senior official saying Berlin could outline a commitment soon, the Journal reported, a step that could significantly expand the mission given Germany’s mine-clearing capabilities.

The plan has three core objectives, according to the Journal: organizing the exit of stranded vessels, conducting a large-scale demining effort after Iran seeded parts of the waterway early in the conflict, and establishing ongoing naval escorts and surveillance to protect commercial shipping.

Analysts told the Journal that Europe maintains a larger mine-countermeasure fleet than the United States, though clearing mines remains slow, technically complex and potentially dangerous.

The proposal draws on precedents such as Operation Aspides, a European Union naval mission that provided defensive escorts for commercial shipping in the Red Sea during Houthi attacks, the Journal reported.

That operation ran separately from the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, underscoring a growing European preference for autonomous maritime security frameworks, according to the Journal.

The plan is emerging amid escalating friction between President Donald Trump and European allies over the Iran conflict.

NATO members have largely declined to participate in U.S.-led military actions against Iran or support efforts resembling a full naval blockade, reflecting deep divisions within the alliance over escalation risks and legal justification, according to officials and allied diplomats cited in recent reporting.

Those divisions have contributed to rising strain inside NATO, with officials acknowledging private disagreements over burden-sharing and strategy, according to allied briefings reported by multiple outlets.

Tensions have also spilled into public exchanges between Trump and European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

Trump has criticized Meloni for resisting deeper European military involvement in the Iran campaign, while Meloni has pushed back on what she described as unfair pressure from Washington, highlighting growing friction even among traditionally aligned partners.

European officials told the Journal the postwar Hormuz mission is ultimately intended to stabilize one of the world’s most important energy corridors while avoiding deeper entanglement in a conflict that remains politically sensitive and unpopular across much of Europe.