VIDEO: Reopening Strait of Hormuz not a simple task, says UK’s Starmer

March 17, 2026

United Kingdom (UK) Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz will be complex, as he responded to calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for coordinated action to secure the vital waterway.

Starmer said restoring stability in the Strait, which remains critical to global energy supply, would require joint efforts from allied countries.

“We have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the market. That is not a simple task. The US operation has massively weakened the military capability of the abhorrent regime in Iran.”

He noted that beyond military developments, attention must shift to what follows the conflict.

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“The question is, what comes next? When the fighting stops, we are going to need some sort of negotiated agreement to constrain the threat posed by Iran, to limit their ability to rebuild their nuclear programme, to pose a ballistic missile threat and arm their proxy militias, and limit the threat that they can pose to international shipping, which is hitting global supplies of oil, of gas and fertiliser, which is pushing up prices here at home.”

The British leader said countries have already taken steps to cushion the impact of the disruption on global markets.

“Now, we’ve already acted alongside other countries to release emergency oil stocks at a level that is completely unprecedented. But ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to ensure stability in the market.”

He, however, stressed again that the process would not be straightforward and would require cooperation among partners.

“That is not a simple task. 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 impacts.”

Earlier, Tribune Online reports that several countries have reacted cautiously to United States (US) President Donald Trump’s call for allied support to secure the Strait of Hormuz, as tensions rise following continued Iranian attacks on vessels in the strategic waterway.

The request comes as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran enters its third week, with Iran effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow passage between Iran and Oman through which about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.