UK coordinates with allies to reopen Strait of Hormuz, says PM

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the United Kingdom is coordinating with international partners to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, without offering specific details, following US President Donald Trump’s call for other nations to take stronger action against Iran’s effective blockade of the strategic shipping lane.

Starmer described last week’s “completely unprecedented” release of emergency oil reserves as insufficient to stabilise energy markets, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

“Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the market – that is not a simple task,” Starmer said during a March 16 press briefing at Downing Street. “So we’re working with 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.”

He did not provide further details on how the Strait, a conduit for a fifth of the world’s oil, might be reopened. Previous reports from CNN noted that Iran has started deploying mines in the area, complicating potential efforts to restore maritime access.

While Starmer did not explicitly name Trump in his remarks, the US president had on March 15 cautioned that NATO could face a “very bad” future if member states fail to support initiatives to reopen the Strait, which Iran has effectively blocked following attacks by the US and Israel.

In addition, Starmer unveiled a £53 million ($70 million) assistance package aimed at vulnerable UK households dependent on heating oil, marking the first major domestic response to the economic fallout of the escalating conflict.

By Jeyhun Aghazada