Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has condemned “Iranian recklessness” for “hitting global economic security” in talks with a coalition of countries aimed at reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane for oil.
Britain is seeking to lead a diplomatic initiative, including countries such as France, Germany and some Gulf nations, to restore access to the maritime route being throttled by Iran in retaliation for the US-Israeli campaign against it.
It comes after US President Donald Trump said countries that rely on the strait should “build up some delayed courage” and “just grab it”, and suggested that after the Iran conflict was over, the critical waterway would “just open up naturally”.
In a video call with counterparts and representatives from more than 40 countries on Thursday, the Foreign Secretary said: “In today’s meeting, we are focusing on the diplomatic and international planning measures, including collective mobilisation of our full range of diplomatic and economic tools and pressures, reassurance work with industry, insurers and energy markets, and also action to guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers, and effective coordination that we need across the world to enable a safe and sustained opening of the strait.”
She hit out at Tehran after “over 25 attacks on vessels in the strait, and there are some 20,000 trapped seafarers on some 2,000 trapped ships”.
She said: “Iranian recklessness towards countries who were never involved in this conflict… is not just hitting mortgage rates and petrol prices and the cost of living here in the UK and in many different countries across the world, it is hitting our global economic security.”
Despite Mr Trump’s remarks, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has admitted unblocking the lane will not be easy.
Another meeting next week among military planners will consider how to make the strait “accessible and safe” after the fighting has stopped, although this is not expected to involve the deployment of Royal Navy warships to police the waterway.
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