Participants of a conference on the Strait of Hormuz discussed a backup plan for the full restoration of shipping in the Middle East if the US withdraws from the conflict with Iran without a decision on the strait, sources said, Bloomberg reports.

According to the sources, Washington's allies wanted to demonstrate unity and ensure the restoration of shipping in future US-Iranian talks to end the conflict. Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that the issue of the Strait of Hormuz should be resolved by the countries that use it for oil transportation.

The conference, chaired by the UK, was held via videoconference, in which 41 countries participated. Their leaders came to the conclusion that they do not intend to resort to military measures until a ceasefire is established. The UK Foreign Office issued a statement after the conference, emphasizing that the participants rejected Iran's idea of charging a fee for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Iranian authorities had earlier decided to close the Strait of Hormuz to ships affiliated with the US, Israel, and countries supporting the aggression against the Islamic Republic. During the conflict, several tankers were attacked for passing through the strait without Tehran's permission. On March 25, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Iran had allowed friendly countries—including Russia, India, Iraq, China, and Pakistan—to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Later, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian parliament, announced that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz would have to pay, in accordance with a new law to be adopted soon in Iran.