British Prime Minister Keir Starmer used a press conference at 10 Downing Street on Monday to draw a firm line between supporting efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and being pulled into direct participation in the Iran war, announcing a non-NATO coalition framework while simultaneously pledging £53 million in domestic energy relief as oil prices topped $100 a barrel.
Starmer told reporters that reopening the Strait of Hormuz was the only path to stabilising global energy markets and that Britain was coordinating with European partners, Gulf states and the United States on a credible collective plan, but ruled out operating under the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) framework or committing Royal Navy warships to the waterway.
“Let me be clear, that won’t be, and it’s never been envisioned to be, a NATO mission,” Starmer said. “That’ll have to be an alliance of partners, which is why we’re working with partners both in Europe, in the Gulf, and with the US.”
Starmer acknowledged the task was not straightforward and that any collective action must be credible and involve as many countries as possible. He said Britain had autonomous mine-hunting systems in the Gulf region and that officials were examining what assets could be contributed, after Britain’s last conventional minehunter in the region was brought home earlier this month. He also confirmed he had spoken with US President Donald Trump on Sunday night about the strait, describing the relationship as good and rejecting suggestions it had been damaged.
Hours after the press conference, Trump publicly expressed frustration with Starmer’s position, saying he was “very surprised” by Britain’s attitude and that he wanted UK involvement to be enthusiastic rather than reluctant. Trump told reporters he had been talking to approximately seven countries about naval assistance and that “numerous countries” had told him ships were on the way, though he declined to name them. Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan and Australia had all publicly ruled out sending vessels by Monday evening.
Earlier on Monday, Starmer met Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at Downing Street, where both leaders condemned Iranian missile and drone attacks and discussed the war’s impact on global energy markets. The two agreed on the importance of ending the blockade.
On the domestic front, Starmer announced £53 million in targeted energy relief for the most vulnerable British households, extending the household energy bill cap to the end of June and reducing fuel duty until September. He also said the government would take legal action against companies found to be excessively raising prices in response to the crisis, with de-escalation of the conflict described as the fastest route to ending the cost of living pressure on families.
According to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) data, at least 16 oil tankers have been attacked, targeted or reported incidents in the Strait since the war began on February 28, with Brent crude prices rising more than 40 percent to above $100 a barrel since hostilities commenced.
