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Britain won't join blockade of Strait of Hormuz — PM Starmer

The UK prime minister said he had been working with allies to "keep the Strait open, not shut"

LONDON, April 13. /TASS/. Britain will not join the US military mission to blockade the Strait of Hormuz.

"We're not supporting the blockade," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on the BBC. "That’s all focused, from our point of view, on getting the Strait fully open," he said. The prime minister noted he was focused on getting the vital shipping channel of the Strait of Hormuz reopened in order to reduce energy prices "as quickly as possible."

Starmer said he had been working with allies to "keep the Strait open, not shut." This issue affects everyone, he went on, because every time the Strait is closed or free navigation is disrupted, it means gas and oil don't get to markets, and prices go up, noting that this directly affects UK consumers.

"My decision has been very clearly that whatever the pressure - and there's been some considerable pressure - we're not getting dragged into the war. That's not in our national interest, because I'm not going to act unless there's a clear, lawful basis and a clear thought-through plan," he British prime minister added.

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that the US and other navies would begin a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.