Sir Keir Starmer has condemned Donald Trump’s recent threat that a “whole civilisation” would perish unless Iran agreed to end the war, calling the statement “wrong.” The Prime Minister informed MPs that he would not have used such language, which came last week before a two-week ceasefire was established.
Starmer confirmed that the UK would not participate in enforcing the US military blockade of Iranian ports, which was scheduled to commence at 15:00 BST. In a Commons statement, he asserted that the UK would “continue to stay out of the war” and was concentrating on reopening the crucial shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.
The conditional two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran was agreed upon on Tuesday, April 7, hours after Trump issued his threat. However, Israel has persisted with bombings in Lebanon, and Iran continues to restrict access to the Strait of Hormuz. Following weekend peace talks between the US and Iran that concluded without a deal, Trump declared that the US would blockade all ships attempting to enter or exit the strait. Earlier on Monday, the US President warned on Truth Social that Iranian naval vessels approaching the US blockade would be “immediately eliminated.”
President Trump has been openly critical of the Prime Minister, even stating he is “not Winston Churchill” after the PM’s decision not to support his attack on Iran. As the relationship between the two leaders appeared to strain over the conflict, the connection between their deputies is considered particularly vital for the UK government.
Despite the differing views between Sir Keir and Trump, Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy spent Monday at the White House, engaging in separate meetings with US Vice President JD Vance and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lammy later posted on X, expressing his pleasure at “catching up with my friend JD Vance today in DC following his talks in Pakistan.” He added, alongside a picture of the two men shaking hands, that it is “vital that the ceasefire continues and we get shipping flowing freely again through the Straits of Hormuz. We continue to work together towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey remarked that while Trump did not act on his threat against Iran, “these words are a stark reminder of how reckless, immoral, and completely outside the bounds of international law this president is.” He further warned that Trump’s plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz “will only escalate this crisis and jeopardise the precarious ceasefire.”
In response, Sir Keir reiterated: “In relation to the language about destroying a civilisation… that was wrong. A threat to Iranian civilians in that way is wrong. These are civilians, let’s remember, who have suffered immeasurable harm by the regime in Iran for many, many long years. And that’s why they are words and phrases that I would never use on behalf of this government, which is guided by our principles and our values throughout all of this.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir announced that the UK and France would co-host a summit focused on diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The summit would also address military planning to ensure shipping security once the situation stabilizes. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the initiative but stressed that “we will need to go further than just talking.” She urged the government to release its long-delayed defence investment plan and approve North Sea oil and gas drilling to reduce the UK’s vulnerability to energy price shocks.
Approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments typically transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively closed the waterway since US-Israeli strikes commenced on February 28, selectively allowing some vessels through. The US blockade aims to prevent Tehran from profiting from tolls levied on passing ships and revenues from oil exports. The conflict has caused a surge in oil prices, leading to increased energy costs worldwide.
#Trump #Starmer #Iran #StraitOfHormuz #Ceasefire #UKPolitics #USPolitics #MiddleEast #InternationalRelations #Diplomacy
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