Starmer and Trump urge reopening of Strait of Hormuz as Gulf tensions soar

2026-03-23 - 07:42

In a high-level phone call late on Sunday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump agreed that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is “essential to resume global shipping,” as tensions in the region continue to escalate following the US-Israel campaign against Iran. The 20-minute discussion was described by officials as “constructive,” coming on the same day that Trump shared a satirical clip referencing the UK Prime Minister. Both leaders emphasized the critical need for safeguarding international maritime routes and preventing further disruption to global energy supplies. In the UK, Starmer is set to convene a “Cobra” emergency meeting with Chancellor Rachel Reeves, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey, and other senior officials to assess the economic consequences of the ongoing conflict. Analysts warn that prolonged closure of the strait could sharply increase oil and gas prices, intensifying inflationary pressures in Europe and beyond. The call came a day after Trump issued an ultimatum to Iran, giving Tehran 48 hours to reopen the strait or face the “obliteration” of its power plants, starting with the largest facility. The warning has raised international concerns about a potential escalation of military actions in the Arabian Gulf. The escalating situation has placed global markets on high alert, with energy prices surging and governments scrambling to mitigate the economic fallout from a crisis that threatens both regional security and global trade, according to World BBC News. In the UK, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) says it is concerned about the impact of rising energy costs on household incomes and jobs, and is calling for an emergency taskforce to be set up. “What we have learned from previous difficult situations like Covid is that it is important to start planning early,” says the union’s Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell. Jobs in energy-intensive sectors like steel and manufacturing could be “most at risk”, she tells BBC Breakfast. But all union members will be impacted if household bills rise, she added. Asked what the TUC wants from today’s Cobra meeting (the UK government’s emergency committee), Bell calls for the conflict to be “deescalated” and for the government to think about “how to protect jobs and livelihoods”. This should be a collaborative conversation, she says: “[It is] really important that the voices of those workers and of employers are heard”.