London (TDI): British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the United Kingdom will not become involved in a wider war with Iran, but is coordinating with international partners on a “viable collective plan” to reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.
He acknowledged that the operation would be complex and would not be a NATO-led mission.
Starmer’s remarks come after heavy criticism from Donald Trump, who argued that Britain, along with China, France, Japan, and South Korea, should deploy warships to the region to ensure the strait remains open.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Starmer said that reopening the strait is essential to stabilising global energy markets. He is consulting with allies across Europe, the Gulf, and the US to secure freedom of navigation.
“Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the [oil] market. That is not a simple task,” he said. “We are working with all 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 impact.”
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About one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait. Tehran’s effective closure of the waterway has pushed oil prices above $100 a barrel.
While Britain is taking measures to defend itself and its allies, Starmer emphasized that it will not be drawn into broader military conflict. When asked about Britain’s military presence after recalling its last minehunter from the region, he noted that autonomous mine-hunting systems remain deployed, and that Britain is exploring which assets it and its allies could collectively contribute.
Starmer also announced the UK’s first financial support package in response to the crisis: £53 million ($70.3 million) aimed at vulnerable households that rely on heating oil, which has seen significant price increases due to the conflict.
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The prime minister said he spoke with President Trump on Sunday night regarding the Strait and rejected suggestions that UK-US relations had been damaged. “The two leaders spoke in the way you would expect between two allies and two leaders,” Starmer said, adding that he maintained a “good relationship” with the US president.
