Canada, allies ready to help unblock Strait of Hormuz as oil prices spike

Canada is ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to resume safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a significant artery in international shipping undergoing a “de facto closure” amid the war in Iran.

That’s according to a joint statement released Thursday, co-signed by Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan. The countries demanded that Iran halt its “threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the strait to commercial shipping.”

CTV News has reached out to the Prime Minster’s Office (PMO) for clarity on what Canada’s contribution would be.

Major shipping route

Roughly one fifth of the world’s crude oil shipments pass through the strait. Most, though not all, shipping has been blocked since the outset of the war. Stalled shipments through the waterway have led to a worldwide spike in energy costs.

As the PMO released the joint letter, GasBuddy reported the average cost of gas at 170 cents per litre, up nearly 20 cents from this time last year.

The statement was released shortly after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrapped the public portion of her meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

During that meeting, Trump said that much of the oil that Japan relies on is shipped through the strait, adding it’s a “big reason to step up.” The joint statement does not provide details on what Japan, Canada, nor their allies, are prepared to do.

On Wednesday, The Canadian Press reported two Canadian cargo ships were stuck in the Persian Gulf and unable to pass through the strait.

During a callback to reporters from Turkiye on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand spoke out against what she called the “weaponization of international shipping.”

“Ships from all countries have the right to pass through,” she added.

Iran’s objectives

Peter Jones, professor of public affairs at the University of Ottawa, told CTV News Channel that, when it comes to ending the war, he does not believe Trump has a clear set of objectives, but says Iran and Israel both have incentives to continue.

“Israel, I think, has a regime change objective, which Donald Trump may think about from time-to-time, but he’s not willing to go all the way. Iran simply wants to survive and come out of this having shown that it wasn’t utterly defeated,” said Jones.

Firing at Gulf states, for example, shows “that Iran is still in the fight even if it is unmatched and they prevent the end of the war,” he said. “So, I think it’s a combination of the Strait of Hormuz and just keeping going.”

With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press