Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris on Friday aimed at securing the Strait of Hormuz for international shipping once the Middle East conflict ends. A Downing Street spokesman said the summit would advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard shipping.
Sir Keir told MPs on Monday that the UK-French initiative would involve military planning to provide assurance to shipping, alongside diplomatic efforts. President Macron has previously described the proposed mission as strictly defensive and separate from the warring parties, intended to deploy as soon as circumstances permit.
In Westminster, a new Cabinet committee, the Middle East Response Committee, held its first meeting on Tuesday to address the fallout from the Iran conflict, focusing on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global oil and gas supplies. The committee was established to manage domestic and international impacts, including rising energy prices and stock market turmoil.
No 10 insiders compared the new panel to committees set up under previous Tory prime ministers for Brexit preparations and the Covid-19 pandemic. A source said the structure would focus on medium-term scenario planning for developments in the region over the coming weeks and months.
Oil prices retreated below $100 a barrel on Tuesday amid hopes of revived US-Iran negotiations, with Brent crude down 1% to $98.30. Stock markets rose, with the FTSE 100 up 0.2%. Chancellor Rachel Reeves criticised US President Donald Trump's approach, calling the war a 'folly' that has affected families in the UK and globally.
