UK to host more talks on reopening Strait of Hormuz shipping route

Britain will host further talks on reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane with a coalition of countries next week.

The meeting will continue the Government’s efforts to restore freedom of navigation to the strait, which provides shipping routes for oil and gas.

It comes after the Prime Minister spoke to Donald Trump about the need for a “practical plan” to get ships going through the area amid suggestions Iran wants to charge vessels for passage.

An official with knowledge of the planning has said the meeting is expected to look for ways to support a sustainable end to the conflict and focus on increasing international diplomatic pressure on Iran to reopen the strait.

This includes exploring coordinated economic and political measures, such as sanctions, and working with the International Maritime Organisation to secure the release of thousands of ships and sailors trapped in the strait.

It would be the third meeting hosted by Britain regarding the issue this month, after the Foreign Secretary virtually brought together more than 40 nations last week and a gathering of allied military officers on Tuesday.

It is not yet clear which day the meeting will be held next week.

The US and Iran entered a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday after diplomatic efforts from Pakistan, which is due to host negotiations over the weekend.

The Prime Minister has been visiting allies in the Gulf for talks on how to support what he described as a “fragile” truce.

During the visit, Sir Keir Starmer made the case for America staying in Nato, insisting it was in their “interests” but said European members must strengthen their commitment in the wake of the Middle East ceasefire after Mr Trump stepped up threats to pull out of the military alliance.

He said the bloc had “kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been”.

Mr Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Nato allies and flirted with the idea of withdrawing from the bloc altogether after a number of member countries resisted his initial demands for help in reopening the key transit route.

The talks between the leaders came shortly after the Prime Minister criticised the US president over the knock-on effects of the conflict, saying he was “fed up” with bills going up in the UK “because of the actions of Putin or Trump”.

Asked whether he had raised the president’s threats to quit Nato during the call, Sir Keir told broadcasters: “We’re very strong supporters of Nato and I’ve been making the argument for some considerable time that we need to do more.

“Do we Europeans need to do more? Yes, I’ve been making that argument for the best part of two years, to our European partners as much as anybody else.

“We continue to make that case and we will make that case.”

He added: “It is in America’s interests, it’s in European interests. Nato is a defensive alliance, which for decades has kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been.

“So we’re strong supporters of Nato. We’ll always be strong supporters of Nato.

“Do I think this will be a stronger European element to Nato? Yes, and I think we should step into that space.

“We’re already doing it, which is why we’re co-ordinating strategically with our partners in Nato.”

The Prime Minister earlier appeared to draw parallels between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as he expressed frustration over rising costs for Britons after global oil prices rocketed following the strait’s effective closure.

“I’m fed up with the fact that families across the country see their bills go up and down on energy, businesses’ bills go up and down on energy, because of the actions of Putin or Trump,” he told ITV’s Talking Politics podcast.

He added allies share “a very strong sense that there can’t be tolling or restrictions” on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as part of the ceasefire, amid reports Iran wants to charge for passage.

The US president has posted on his Truth Social platform: “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

He added in a separate post: “Iran is doing a very poor job, dishonorable some would say, of allowing Oil to go through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the agreement we have!”

Speaking as he left Qatar at the end of his trip to the region, the Prime Minister warned the conflict would “define us for a generation” and that allies had shared a desire to work closely together.

“And so we come away from here with a real desire on their part to work more closely with us on defence resilience, on economic resilience – that’s really important to us, because this is impacting us back at home, on our economy – so it’s very important we do that together,” he said.

“It’s a big opportunity as well for the United Kingdom.

“So it has been important that we’ve been here and there’s a sense here, as there is, I think, in the United Kingdom, that this conflict is going to define us for a generation and we must respond, and we will respond, with strength.”

Sir Keir appeared to indicate he had not raised his frustrations directly with Mr Trump during their call, saying only that their conversation had focused on the need for a “practical plan” for the strait.

Mr Trump agreed a two-week truce earlier this week with the reopening of the strait a key condition.

But the ceasefire soon came under strain as Israel’s bombardment of Beirut prompted Iran to close the shipping lane again amid disagreement over whether Lebanon was included in the agreement.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he had authorised direct talks with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours.

A Downing Street spokesperson said that during his Middle East tour, Sir Keir discussed “the need to push to restore the free flow of goods to support global supply chains” with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Prime Minister also “expressed solidarity with the people of the UAE and his condolences for the lives lost as a result of Iran’s reckless bombardment”, according to No 10.

In talks with leaders from Bahrain, Sir Keir “reiterated the importance of ensuring the ceasefire is upheld in order to pave the way for lasting peace”.

In a call with Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif, Sir Keir thanked him for his “critical role” in securing the two-week ceasefire.