PM says Iran conflict will shape us for a generation. 18 hours ago. Kate Whannel, political reporter. PA Media. Sir Keir Starmer has stated that the Iran conflict will “define us for a generation,” as he wrapped up his trip to the Gulf region. The prime minister described the US-Iran ceasefire deal as “fragile” and emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz must be “part of the solution.” The vital shipping route has been effectively shut to ships, including those transporting oil and fertilizer, since the conflict began, causing petrol and food prices to surge. This follows his earlier frustration over families nationwide facing fluctuating bills “because of the actions of Putin or Trump.” Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine triggered massive energy price hikes, leading the Conservative government at the time to spend billions shielding households from the impact. Amid the Iran war, Sir Keir’s administration now confronts parallel scrutiny on support for billpayers. It has indicated that any support this time would be targeted, rather than universal. The prime minister made the comments about the Russian and American presidents in a Thursday ITV interview, during which he also spoke with Trump about the war. When asked on Friday if he had directly expressed frustration to the US president about rising bills during the call, Sir Keir did not answer specifically, stating that the pair spent “most of the time” discussing the “practical plan” for re-opening the Strait. Mofa Qatar via Reuters. He stated that Gulf region allies concurred there should be no “tolling or restrictions on that navigation”—a step Iran has reportedly proposed. Sir Keir noted that in recent weeks, the UK had assembled a coalition of more than 30 nations to develop a “political and diplomatic plan, while also assessing military capabilities and the logistics of escorting vessels through the Strait.” Defence Secretary John Healey indicated that British military planners had been sent to US military headquarters, and a Navy vessel might deploy autonomous drones to remove mines from the Strait. The US president has repeatedly faulted the UK and other NATO members for insufficient involvement in the conflict, even hinting at a potential US exit from the alliance. Sir Keir affirmed that NATO had “kept us much safer than we would otherwise have been” and that it served America’s interests to stay in the alliance. That said, he emphasized that “Europeans need to do more… I’ve been making that argument for the best part of two years to our European partners as much as anybody else.” During his three-day Middle East trip, Sir Keir met leaders in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE, and Qatar. In remarks to broadcasters, he noted a “real desire on their part to work more closely with us on defence resilience and economic resilience.” He added, “That’s really important to us, because this is impacting us back at home, on our economy. There’s a sense here, as there is, I think, in the United Kingd