UK Distances Itself from U.S. Iran Blockade

(MENAFN) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer firmly distanced the United Kingdom from the U.S.-led naval blockade of Iranian ports on Monday, declaring that London's immediate focus remains the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to stabilize surging energy prices.

"Our response is focused on getting the Strait of Hormuz opened because that's the way we get energy prices down as quickly as possible," Starmer told a radio station.

The Prime Minister was unequivocal, stating that the UK is "not supporting a blockade" of Iranian ports, and separately assured the public that Britain is "not getting dragged into the war" — placing responsibility for the strait's restricted traffic squarely on Tehran.

When pressed by reporters on whether he holds U.S. President Donald Trump personally accountable for the resulting surge in UK energy bills, Starmer sidestepped a direct response, asserting instead that the "single most important thing" he can do is bring countries together to push for de-escalation and the reopening of the strait.

The remarks come as Trump's blockade on Iranian ports — announced over the weekend — is set to take effect at 1400 GMT Monday. The move follows a rare round of direct U.S.-Iran negotiations held in the Pakistani capital Islamabad over the weekend, aimed at ending a war that erupted on Feb. 28. Those talks, however, concluded without a breakthrough agreement.

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