Sir Keir Starmer has said there is a lot of work to do to make the two-week ceasefire between Iran and the United States hold and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The prime minister arrived in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday as part of a visit to Gulf allies to discuss diplomatic efforts to support and uphold the agreement. He argued that fully reopening the vital shipping route would help stabilise prices in the UK.
The ceasefire comes after US President Donald Trump threatened that a “whole civilisation” would “die” if Iran did not agree to end the war and unblock the strait, comments that led Downing Street to call for de‑escalation. Sir Keir said there was a sense of relief following the ceasefire, but he acknowledged it was still early days. His remarks came as Iranian media reported that oil tankers had stopped passing through the strait, while Israel said it had hit Lebanon with the biggest strikes since its ground operation began.
Pakistan, which acted as an intermediary in the ceasefire talks, and Iran said the deal covered Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah. But Israel has said the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon. Allowing tankers through the strait is considered a key part of the ceasefire between Iran and the US. Ship-broker SSY confirmed to BBC Verify that vessels in the Gulf had received a message warning that the strait remained closed and that permission was required from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps before sailing.
Speaking to UK and Saudi personnel at the King Fahd Air Base in Taif, Sir Keir said: “There’s a lot of work to do, as you will appreciate, a lot of work to make sure that that ceasefire becomes permanent and brings about the peace that we all want to see… but also a lot of work to do in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, which has an impact everywhere across the world.” He later travelled to Jeddah, where he met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Following the meeting, a Downing Street spokesperson said the two men had discussed “the UK’s ongoing efforts to convene partners to agree and plan the practical steps required to give shipping the confidence to transit the Strait.” The spokesperson added that the prime minister had thanked Saudi Arabia for its efforts to protect British nationals in the country.
Sir Keir will return to the UK on Friday, the trip having been planned before the ceasefire announcement. For the Conservatives, shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly told BBC Breakfast that the ceasefire was an opportunity for Iran to make some serious choices about how it behaved at home and abroad. Former foreign secretary Sir James said the war had been initiated to ensure Iran “never acquires a nuclear weapon” and that remained an absolute priority. He added: “So we’ll welcome this two-week ceasefire if it is found to be credible.”
