British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that the UK would not be drawn into the war in Iran and was not supporting a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz whatever the pressure, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
“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 and we’ll continue to do so,” Starmer told BBC Radio 5 Live.
War in Iran
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Strait of Hormuz
As a critical waterway, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and roughly one‑fifth of all liquefied natural gas flows.
Due to the escalating tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared that the waterway was unsafe. Therefore, the authorities halted ship movements, causing a worldwide energy crisis.
Blockade of Strait of Hormuz
Starmer’s comments followed the US military’s announcement that it would begin enforcing a blockade of maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports on Monday.
This marked a step down from President Donald Trump’s earlier pledge to impose a full blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
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