Britain will lead a virtual meeting of 35 nations to discuss reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz, closed since the Middle East war began.
LONDON: Britain will host a virtual meeting of around 35 countries on Thursday to discuss reopening the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz.
The vital waterway has been crippled since the Middle East war began.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the meeting, which Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host.
The discussions will “assess all viable diplomatic and political measures that we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and resume the movement of vital commodities,” Starmer said.
Participants will include nations that recently signed a statement expressing readiness to contribute to efforts ensuring safe passage. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands are among the signatories.
“I do have to level with people on this. This (reopening) will not be easy,” Starmer cautioned. Iran has virtually closed the strait since US-Israeli strikes started the war, causing global oil and gas prices to soar.
A fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait in peacetime. Following the diplomatic meeting, the UK will convene military planners to examine how to marshal capabilities to make the strait accessible and safe after fighting stops.
Starmer also reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to NATO following renewed criticism from US President Donald Trump. “NATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen, and it has kept us safe for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO,” he stated.
Trump told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper that NATO was a “paper tiger”. When asked if he would reconsider US membership, he replied, “Oh yes, I would say (it’s) beyond reconsideration.”
Last month, Trump told the Financial Times it would be “very bad for the future of NATO” if members fail to help reopen the vital waterway. On Tuesday, he said countries struggling with fuel shortages should “go get your own oil” in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US would not help them.