London | Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday ruled out British support for US President Donald Trump’s planned blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas, including the crucial shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.
During a weekend phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Starmer reiterated the UK stance of the need to “work with a wide coalition of partners to protect freedom of navigation,” given the strategic importance of the Strait for global trade and energy supplies.
He confirmed the presence of mine-sweepers and anti-drone defensive presence in the region as he stressed that British military capability will continue to focus on getting the Strait “fully open".
“What we’ve been doing over the last few weeks – and this was part of what I was discussing with the Gulf states last week – is bringing countries together to keep the Strait open, not shut," Starmer told BBC Radio.
“We’re not supporting the blockade and all of the marshalling diplomatically, politically and capability – we do have mine-sweeping capability, I won’t go into operational matters, but we do have that capability – that’s all focused, from our point of view, on getting the Strait fully open,” he said.
Against the backdrop of Trump’s threat to blockade ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz in a post on Truth Social, Starmer reiterated the UK's position against being drawn into the US-Iran conflict.
“My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure – and there’s been some considerable pressure – we’re not getting dragged into the war. The UK is not getting dragged in.
“That’s not in our national interest, because I’m not going to act unless there’s a clear, lawful basis and a clear thought-through plan,” he said.
The US announced its blockade plan after talks in Islamabad with Iranian authorities failed to secure a lasting peace deal to end hostilities in West Asia.
“We continue to support freedom of navigation and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, which is urgently needed to support the global economy and the cost of living back home," a UK government spokesperson said.
“The Strait of Hormuz must not be subject to tolling. We are urgently working with France and other partners to put together a wide coalition to protect freedom of navigation,” the spokesperson said.
Later this week, the UK and France will co-host a summit which Starmer has said would "advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends".
Meanwhile, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to travel to Washington DC for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) meeting where the reopening the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel will be a priority agenda.
The UK government said it remains geared towards curbing the “deeply damaging” impact of the disruption to global shipping in order to ease cost-of-living pressures at home and worldwide.
Washington | The US has threatened to "vigorously prosecute" anyone who buys or sells sanctioned Iranian oil, the top Justice Department official has said as President Donald Trump announced the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The blockade, which was announced after the US-Iran peace talks in Islamabad failed to reach an agreement on Sunday to end the war that began on February 28.
“The Department of Justice will vigorously prosecute anyone who buys or sells sanctioned Iranian oil. The Department of Justice fully supports our Commander in Chief @POTUS and our military,” US Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a post on X.
On Sunday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces will begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports on April 13 at 10 am ET, in accordance with the President’s proclamation.
“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” the Central Command said.
Trump said the US blockade is an effort to stop Iran from policing the strait and benefiting economically while the rest of the world suffers from its closure.
“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,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
"THIS IS WORLD EXTORTION, and Leaders of Countries, especially the United States of America, will never be extorted,” he said.
Trump, speaking on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” said the effort will be a “complete blockade” and “all or none,” meaning no ship will be allowed to pass until Iran relents.
Trump also announced in the post that the US Navy will “seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran.”
CENTCOM said additional information will be provided to commercial mariners through a formal notice prior to the start of the blockade.
All mariners are advised to monitor Notice to Mariners broadcasts and contact US naval forces on bridge-to-bridge channel 16 when operating in the Gulf of Oman and Strait of Hormuz approaches.
Last week, CENTCOM began preparations for mine clearance operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Arleigh Burke-class DDGs USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the strait to establish a “safe pathway” for global commerce following reports of sea mines laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
This is part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is “fully clear” of sea mines laid by the IRGC, CENTCOM said.
