Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK will “play our full part” in getting shipping moving through the Strait of Hormuz after Donald Trump clinched a deal with Iran.
Speaking at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, which Mr Trump is also attending, Sir Keir congratulated the US president for the “important breakthrough”.
Deal details
Mr Trump has said the deal would see oil flow freely again through the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping route out of the Persian Gulf. The president said the strait could be fully opened as early as Friday when the deal is signed in Switzerland.
French President Emmanuel Macron had said France could have fighter jets patrolling the strait as soon as Tuesday and had an aircraft carrier already in the region.
UK commitment
Sir Keir told reporters: “Let me first say how much we welcome the deal that President Trump has been able to get in this situation, congratulate him and the mediators on the work that they have done, because this is a really important breakthrough.
“At the G7 here we’ve been discussing the details of that deal and how we get the Strait of Hormuz open as quickly as possible.
“As you will know, President Macron and I put together a group of countries prepared to play their part in terms of reassurance to get vessels through the strait.
“That is hugely important in terms of reopening the strait, very, very important for us in the United Kingdom, because, of course, the strait being closed in the way that it has has had an impact on our economy, had an impact on every household across the country, so we’ll play our full part in relation to that.”
The UK and France have led plans for a defensive mission to protect and reassure vessels in the channel once hostilities are over, including the deployment of autonomous mine-hunting equipment.
Trump's view
Mr Trump said on Monday he does not believe the US would “need much help” in ensuring the free passage of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz because of the peace deal with Iran. However, the US president said he did not think it was “a bad idea to have a ship or two” from other countries based in the strategic waterway.
While the deal will halt the conflict, lift the US blockade and reopen the strategic strait, it leaves Iran’s disputed nuclear plans to further negotiations. Iran’s foreign minister has said the deal to end the war with the US also requires Israel to withdraw from Lebanon. Israel is not part of the agreement.
