The day after United States President Donald Trump announced his plan for a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz amid , United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer once again reiterated the country’s position in the West Asia war.
Keir Starmer on Monday said that his country will not be part of a US blockade of Iranian ports. Speaking on BBC Radio, Keir Starmer said that “we are not supporting the blockade” and that the UK wouldn’t be “getting dragged into the war.”
Meanwhile, a German spokesperson appeared confused about what the United States would block, as negotiations between the American and Iranian delegations in Islamabad, Pakistan, failed.
What UK and Germany said
Apart from reiterating the UK’s position on the Iran war, Starmer also maintained that the efforts remain focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the key shipping route, whose closure has sent prices for oil and other commodities soaring.
He also spoke with Donald Trump and said Britain would send minesweepers to the strait. It had earlier said that Britain would help with the Strait of Hormuz only after the fighting stops.
Starmer said all Britain’s military capability is focused on getting the Strait “fully open”. The UK is working with dozens of other countries on plans to restore security to shipping through the key oil route after the conflict.
Germany, on the other hand, seemed confused. A German spokesperson said the government is assuming the US will launch a blockade of Iranian ports and not Hormuz.
Turkey’s foreign minister raised concerns on Monday about Iran or the United States proposing new regulations for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, and said he saw difficulties with proposals to reopen the waterway with an international force.
Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said, “There are many difficulties in intervening here with an international armed force. Especially as the war continues, how much will it narrow or expand? We see that many countries are not keen on this. The problem is whether there will be proposals on new regulations from now on, particularly from Iran,” he said.
What Trump said
On Truth Social on Sunday, April 12, Donald Trump announced that the US Navy will begin blockading all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz.
He said, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the , or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.”
“At some point, we will reach an “ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT” basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen by merely saying, “There may be a mine out there somewhere,” that nobody knows about but them. THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted. I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas. We will also begin destroying the mines the Iranians laid in the Straits,” he mentioned further.
(With agency inputs)
