France, May 12 -- More than 40 nations are expected to join the virtual gathering of defence ministers, co-chaired by UK Defence Secretary John Healey and French minister Catherine Vautrin, in what London described as the first ministerial-level meeting for the planned multinational mission.

The talks come at a delicate moment for the region. Although a ceasefire between Iran, the United States and Israel has eased fears of an immediate escalation, tensions continue to simmer and maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted.

The narrow waterway, which links the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil supplies.

Since the outbreak of the US-Israel war on Iran in late Februa...