By Elizabeth Piper and Sarah Young
LONDON, March 15 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday Britain would not be drawn into a wider war in Iran but would work with allies on a “viable collective plan” to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz, though he acknowledged that would not be a simple task.
U.S. President Donald Trump has heavily criticised Starmer for not initially supporting the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran, and said at the weekend that Britain, China, France, Japan and South Korea should send warships to the region to reopen the waterway.
Starmer told a press conference that reopening the strait was the only way to stabilise energy markets, and that he was talking to allies in Europe, the Gulf and the U.S. on a plan to secure freedom of navigation. He said it would not be a NATO-led mission.
UK SUPPORT FOCUSES ON HEATING OIL COSTS
He also set out the first financial support for British households as a result of the conflict, a 53-million-pound ($70.30 million) package for the most vulnerable who rely on heating oil after its cost spiked due to the conflict.
“Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the (oil) market. That is not a simple task,” Starmer told reporters.
“So we’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable collective plan that can restore freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease the economic impact.”
About a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes through the strait, a narrow passage of water between Iran and Oman. Tehran’s effective shutting of the Strait has sent oil prices to more than $100 a barrel.
Starmer said while Britain was “taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war”.
Asked what Britain could contribute after it brought its last minehunter in the region back to Britain this month, he reiterated that it had autonomous mine-hunting systems in the area.
He added Britain and its allies were looking at what assets they could collectively contribute, and that they wanted as many nations working on it as possible.
Starmer said he spoke to Trump about the Strait on Sunday night, and rejected suggestions the relationship with Britain’s key ally had been damaged by his handling of the conflict.
Starmer said the two had spoken “in the way that you would expect between two allies and two leaders” and he had a “good relationship” with the U.S. president.
($1 = 0.7563 pounds)
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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