UK will not support US blockade of Hormuz: Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the United Kingdom will not join the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz announced by President Donald Trump.

"We are not supporting the blockade," Starmer told BBC radio on Monday, April 13, adding that the UK "is not getting dragged in" to the US-Israel war on Iran.

Starmer said it was vital to get the strait reopened, as about 20 per cent of the world's oil supplies pass through the strategic waterway.

"It is vital that we get the strait open and fully open, and that's where we've put all of our efforts," he said.

The US military announced it would block all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from 2:00 pm GMT. The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations, the US Central Command said.

Other US allies also criticised Trump's move. Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the planned naval blockade "makes no sense". Turkiye said the strait should open "as soon as possible". China also condemned the plan, urging Iran and the US not to reignite the war.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France and the UK would hold a conference aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the strait.