Starmer and Macron to carry summit in bid to reopen Strait of Hormuz after Trump’s blockade
Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron will co-host a summit in Paris this week to continue efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The prime minister has made efforts to reopen the Strait a priority, after its closure amid the US-Iran war prompted oil prices around the globe to soar.
International leaders will gather on Friday in an effort to come up with a plan to ensure the vital trading route can remain open to shipping amid Donald Trump’s blockade on it.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The summit will advance work towards a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping once the conflict ends.”
Mr Macron has previously said the countries participating in the initiative would work on a “strictly defensive mission, separate from the warring parties to the conflict” which “is intended to be deployed as soon as circumstances permit”.
NATO allies including Britain and France have already said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, stressing instead the need to reopen the waterway.
The route was initially blockaded by Iran in response to US-Israeli attacks on Tehran, a move which has sparked global instability and prompted concerns about the cost of living in the UK.
After ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington broke down over the weekend, Trump said the US military will now block Iranian vessels and any ships that have already paid Iran tolls coming through the Strait.
In Westminster, a new Cabinet committee has been established to deal with the fallout from the Iran conflict.
The Middle East Response Committee was having its first meeting on Tuesday to consider the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, the shipping route vital for global oil and gas supplies.
This is a breaking story, more to follow…
Source: independent.co.uk
