Sir Keir Starmer says the UK is working with allies on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz but will not be dragged into Donald Trump’s “wider war” on Iran.
The prime minister confirmed he is talking with other countries, including European allies as well as Canada’s Mark Carney in Downing Street on Monday, about military involvement to keep the straits open amid fresh warnings of soaring prices and fuel rationing in Britain.
But he insisted the UK would not join Israel and the US in launching offensive strikes Iran. He also did not commit to sending warships to the strait, as requested by President Trump on the weekend, a move which could escalate the crisis.
It comes as a senior Labour source, who is a regular part of the security discussions in relation to Iran and Ukraine, told The Independent that the feedback coming to the government from Republican allies as well as Democrats is one of “deep despair at the erratic behaviour of the president”.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Sir Keir said he wanted a swift end to the war, adding that the UK and its allies were “working hard” on a “viable plan” to end the blockade of the key oil and gas channel.
He said: “While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war.
“I want to see an end to this war as quickly as possible, because the longer it goes on, the more dangerous the situation becomes, and the worse it is for the cost of living back here at home.”
Mr Trump has called for the UK and other countries to send warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and claimed Nato faces a "very bad" future should its member states fail to help.
But several countries have so far rebuffed the plea, despite growing concerns over the impact of the closure of the strait on global economies. In the UK, ministers are instead said to be drawing up plans to send minesweeping drones to the strait.
Sir Keir added: “Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability on the market. That is not a simple task.
“There have been discussions going on in relation to a viable plan.
"We want to make sure that that involves as many partners as possible, that's been our stated directive here, particularly talking to European partners, inevitably talking to Gulf partners and to the US, because we need a credible, viable plan, if we can."
He noted: “This is, to say the least, not easy. It is not straightforward. And therefore we have to make sure we've got that credible in place.”
Asked whether he would send a warship to the Gulf, Sir Keir said he had not yet decided, adding: “We are looking through the options. It’s a discussion. We’re not at the point of decisions yet.”
Earlier, the prime minister met his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney in Downing Street to discussed the situations with Iran and Ukraine.
Sir Keir said: "I met Prime Minister Carney earlier this morning and I'll be meeting President Zelensky soon, because it's vital that we continue to focus on supporting Ukraine.
"We cannot allow the war in the Gulf to turn into a windfall for Putin."
Sir Keir made the statement as he announced that households that rely on heating oil to warm their homes would receive £53m of government support to help with their bills. He also threatened legal action against fuel suppliers over price gouging.
He spoke shortly after former Gordon Brown aide and former BP chief Nick Butler told Sir Keir that his government needs a plan for “fuel rationing”. There are also concerns about the impact on the price of food while the strait remains effectively closed.
The prime minister also did not rule out wider government support for energy bills if costs soar when the cap came to an end in June. But he suggested it was difficult to predict where oil prices would be.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Trump reiterated his call for allied assistance in the Strait of Hormuz, telling the paper: "It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there."
He has previously called for the UK, China, France, Japan and South Korea to send ships to secure the route.
Mr Trump again also hit out at Sir Keir's refusal to allow US forces to use UK bases in the initial wave of attacks against Iran.
"The UK might be considered the number one ally, the longest serving et cetera and when I asked for them to come, they didn't want to come," he told the Financial Times.
"And as soon as we basically wiped out the danger capacity from Iran, they said, 'oh well we'll send two ships', and I said, 'we need these ships before we win, not after we win'. I've long said that Nato is a one-way street."
A senior cabinet minister later delivered a sharp response to threats by Mr Trump. He said Britain was not obliged to enter the US’s “war of choice” and that the Iran conflict had nothing to do with Nato.
Work and pensions minister Pat McFadden said Sir Keir had made it clear from the start of the conflict that “the UK is not a protagonist in it and that will frame the discussions we have with the US or anyone else about our involvement or (military) equipment or anything like that.”
Sir Keir noted he had discussed the issue with President Trump over the weekend.
During the press conference, the prime minister acknowledged the impact of rising oil and gas prices on households in the UK.
He announced the government had issued a "legal direction" to energy companies to pass on savings from government policies already announced.
And he set out a £53 million package of support for "vulnerable" heating oil customers, focused on "those households that are most exposed".
He also raised concerns about claims that suppliers of heating oil have cancelled orders and then hiked bills as prices have spiked.
"I simply will not allow companies to make huge profits from the hardship of working people," he said. "That kind of conduct is completely unacceptable, so if the companies have broken the law, there will be legal action."
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