Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed progress towards a possible agreement between the United States and Iran, stressing that any deal must guarantee “unconditional and unrestricted” access to the Strait of Hormuz for international shipping.
US President Signals Deal Near
US President Donald Trump announced that a deal with Iran, which includes reopening the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, has been “largely negotiated.” He added that “final aspects of the deal” are currently under discussion. The strait is a crucial maritime route for oil and gas shipments, and its closure has raised global economic concerns.
UK Commitment to Diplomatic Settlement
Sir Keir stated: “I welcome the progress towards an agreement between the US and Iran. We need to see an agreement that brings the conflict to an end and reopens the Strait of Hormuz, with unconditional and unrestricted freedom of navigation.” He emphasised that Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and pledged that his government would protect British people from the conflict’s impact while working with international partners to achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement.
Royal Navy Preparations
The UK has already deployed Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon to the Middle East to prepare for a potential international mission to safeguard shipping once a peace deal is in place. Armed forces minister Al Carns visited RFA Lyme Bay in Gibraltar, a support vessel capable of acting as a mothership for minehunting drones that could be sent to the Gulf.
International Alliance Efforts
The UK and France have been leading efforts to assemble an international coalition willing to provide reassurance and assist with mine clearance after hostilities cease. However, Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Darren Jones downplayed the prospect of an imminent peacekeeping mission. Speaking on Sky News, he said: “I’m not sure that that’s on the table right now. We have long-standing defence partnerships with countries in the region, anyway, as well as British military bases there. But I think what is really the question here is how we get the Strait of Hormuz open, how the Americans and others can help to clear mines that may have been laid, so that commercial shipping companies have the confidence again to travel through it.”
