Starmer says UK to host multi-nation meeting on Hormuz shipping / Photo: Frank Augstein - POOL/AFP
-
Mass Ukraine drone barrage kills 4 in Russia: Moscow
-
Gucci takes over New York's Times Square for fashion show
-
Lyles says 'well worth the journey' after winning 100m in Tokyo
-
Nepali duo break own records on Everest
-
North Korean women footballers land in South ahead of rare match
-
North Korean women footballers arrive in South Korea: AFP
-
Rousey demolishes Carano in MMA comeback fight
-
German 'chemical town' fears impact of industrial decline
-
Qantas flight diverted after man bites flight attendant
-
India scrambles to steady rupee as oil shock bites
-
McGregor to make UFC return with Holloway rematch
-
WHO declares international emergency as Ebola outbreak kills more than 80 in DR Congo
-
Crackdown in Southeast Asia pushes scam networks to Sri Lanka
-
'Geek' hangout to tourist draw: Japan's maid cafes
-
Spacecraft to probe how Earth fends off raging solar winds
-
Bulgaria's 'Bangaranga' wins Eurovision, with Israel second
-
Musk wants SpaceX to go public. Here's how it works
-
Big risks and rewards in upcoming IPOs at SpaceX, OpenAI, Anthropic
-
Pal in last duo could ease nerves for PGA leader Smalley
-
Ronaldo suffers more agony as Al Nassr lose 1-0 in AFC final
-
Venezuela expels Maduro ally Alex Saab to US again
-
Rising star Woad in charge at LPGA Queen City Championship
-
Rodgers returning with Steelers for 22nd season
-
Rahm on PGA: 'It's a battle out there'
-
Dara: dancing to victory at Eurovision
-
As U.S. Markets Continue Surging to Historic All-Time Highs, ELEKTROS Believes This Could Be a Defining Opportunity for Penny Stock Investors Seeking Exposure to the Future of Lithium Mining, EV Infrastructure, and Next-Generation Electrification Technologies
-
Napoleon Solo wins 151st Preakness Stakes
-
Last 10 Eurovision winners
-
Smalley grabs PGA lead as wild final day showdown looms
-
Canada cruise passenger 'presumptive positive' for hantavirus
-
Five share PGA lead logjam with wild final day in store
-
Decision time at full-throttle Eurovision final
-
McIlroy charges into the hunt for epic major comeback win
-
Iran confirms squad heading to Turkey for World Cup preparation
-
Bolivian police clash with protesters blocking roads
-
Eurovision final kicks off with Viennese grandeur
-
Svitolina sees off Gauff to win Italian Open, Sinner in men's title showdown
-
Alonso set for appointment as Chelsea manager: reports
-
Spanish star Javier Bardem says 'narrative changing' on Gaza
-
Gujarat miss out on top spot as Kolkata stay alive in IPL
-
Charging McIlroy grabs share of the PGA lead
-
Rwanda genocide suspect Kabuga dead: court
-
No beer for City stars despite FA Cup win, says Guardiola
-
Modi oversees semi-conductor deal on Dutch trip
-
Americans 'should demonstrate like the French,' says Woody Harrelson
-
Vienna abuzz for Eurovision final
-
McFarlane eyes 'massive' Spurs clash after FA Cup final defeat
-
Scuffles from Europe to NYC as Swatch sale descends into chaos
-
Bielle-Biarrey helps Bordeaux-Begles avoid Top 14 slip-up before Champions Cup final
-
Man City still dream of Premier League glory after FA Cup win: Silva
Starmer says UK to host multi-nation meeting on Hormuz shipping
Britain will this week hold a meeting of about 35 countries to discuss how to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz which has been crippled by the Middle East war, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will host the discussions, Starmer told reporters during a Downing Street press conference, without specifying the day of the talks.
The meeting will "assess all viable diplomatic and political measures that we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and resume the movement of vital commodities", Starmer said.
"Following that meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped," he added.
The discussions will include countries who recently signed a statement saying they were ready "to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz", Starmer said.
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands are among those to have signed it.
Iran has virtually closed the vital strait since the US-Israeli strikes that started the war on February 28, causing global oil and gas prices to soar.
A fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the strait in peacetime.
"I do have to level with people on this. This (reopening) will not be easy," Starmer said.
The UK leader also backed NATO following renewed criticism of the eight-decade-old alliance by US President Donald Trump.
"NATO is the single most effective military alliance the world has ever seen, and it has kept us safe for many decades, and we are fully committed to NATO," Starmer said.
Trump told Britain's Telegraph newspaper in an article published Wednesday that NATO was a "paper tiger".
Asked whether he would reconsider US membership, he replied: "Oh yes, I would say (it's) beyond reconsideration," the paper reported.
On Tuesday, he said that countries which have not joined the war but are struggling with fuel shortages should "go get your own oil" in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that the US would not help them.
P.Martin--AMWN