THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K.’s diplomatic efforts are directed at keeping the vital waterway “open, not shut.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain was blunt on Monday morning. His country is “not supporting” President Trump’s threatened military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran broke down over the weekend.
The prime minister told the BBC in a radio interview that he was focused on “bringing countries together to keep the straits open, not shut,” adding that “it is, in my view, vital that we get the strait open and fully open.”
But Mr. Starmer refused to blame Mr. Trump personally for rising energy costs in Britain, saying that it was Iran that had driven up the price of oil by making the strait too dangerous for cargo ships to travel through.
After the host of the radio show pointed out repeatedly that Iran’s actions were in response to Mr. Trump’s decision to launch the war in the first place, Mr. Starmer finally said, simply: “I mean, I’m not, look, I’m not going to get involved in that.”
The interview put on display the longstanding challenge for Mr. Starmer in dealing with Mr. Trump and his chaotic foreign policy.
On the one hand, Mr. Starmer’s refusal to join the American and Israeli-led war in Iran has triggered Mr. Trump’s ire. The prime minister has said he will not give in to “pressure” from the president to drag Britain into another conflict in the Middle East.
The decision to stand up to Mr. Trump appears to be popular in Britain, where Mr. Starmer’s low poll ratings have picked up slightly. » | Michael D. Shear | Reporting from London | Monday, April 13, 2026
