LONDON, March 16. /TASS/. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is refusing to send warships to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz after US President Donald Trump called for reinforcements, The Daily Telegraph writes.

According to the paper, London’s refusal to send warships risks worsening a row between Starmer and Trump. Earlier, the US president expressed frustration over the UK’s refusal to allow the US to use British bases to carry out the first strike on Iran.

Trump said earlier that the countries that receive oil through the Strait of Hormuz should take part in ensuring the safety of navigation there. In this regard, he mentioned the UK, China, South Korea, France, and Japan.

On March 2, Major General Ebrahim Jabari of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil exports passes, would be closed to shipping due to Israeli and US military action against Iran. On March 5, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the strait was not closed but ships and tankers were not attempting to cross it for fear of attacks from both sides.