Keir Starmer refuses to join Trump’s Iran naval blockade, as the UK will not support the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer has confirmed that Britain will not participate in President Donald Trump’s military blockade of Iranian ports despite mounting diplomatic pressure from Washington.
Speaking on Monday, Starmer emphasized that the UK is focused on de-escalation rather than offensive action.
The US blockade scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, following the collapse of weekend peace talks in Pakistan.
While President Trump claimed on social media that allies would assist the US Navy in “cleaning out” the region, Starmer has drawn a firm line to protect British national interests.
The Prime Minister noted that while the UK has significant “mine-sweeping capability” in the region, those assets are strictly for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for global trade to lower energy costs.
“We’re not supporting the blockade,” Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live. “My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure—and there’s been some considerable pressure—we’re not getting dragged into the war.”
He insisted that Britain will only act on a “clear, lawful basis and a clear, thought-through plan,” distinguishing the UK’s diplomatic approach from the US military strategy.
Starmer stressed that it was vital to get the strait reopened in times when about 20 percent of the world’s oil supplies pass through the strategic waterway that links the Gulf to the Indian Ocean.
“It is in my view vital that we get the strait open and fully open, and that’s where we’ve put all of our efforts in the last few weeks, and we’ll continue to do so,” he said.
