UK discussing options with allies to reopen Strait of Hormuz, says minister

LONDON

The UK is in discussions with international allies about how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after recent disruption to shipping in the strategically important waterway, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program, Miliband said it is “very important that we get the Strait of Hormuz reopened," describing the route as vital for global trade and energy supplies.

He said the government is working with partners, including the US, to consider possible ways to secure the passage.

“Any options to help the strait reopen are being looked at," Miliband said, adding that he would not provide operational details about what the UK might do.

The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes for oil and gas.

A significant share of global energy exports passes through the narrow channel connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean.

Miliband’s comments come after US President Donald Trump called on several countries to deploy naval vessels to the region.

Writing on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said he hoped five countries—China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the UK—would send warships to the strait so that it could “no longer be a threat” from Iran.

Hostilities have escalated since Feb. 28, when Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Iran, killing more than 1,200 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Tehran also closed the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for oil tankers, driving up shipping and insurance costs and pushing global oil prices higher.