The UK will not be drawn into the wider war in the Middle East, Keir Starmer has said, as concerns grow over US demands that the British military be involved in keeping sea routes open.
He told a Downing Street press conference that he was “evaluating options” after Donald Trump called on allies to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help unlock global oil supplies from the region.
The prime minister acknowledged that the decision was “difficult, it cannot be hidden” after the US president increased pressure by warning that NATO faces a “very bad” future if its members do not come to Washington’s aid.
Starmer said the UK, which is considering sending mine-hunting ships and drones to the Middle East, was working with allies on a “workable plan” to reopen sea routes. Otherwise, energy prices would remain high.
“While we take necessary steps to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not allow ourselves to be drawn into a broader war. We will continue to work toward a quick resolution that returns security and stability to the region and stops the Iranian threat to its neighbors,” he said.
“I want to see an end to this war as quickly as possible, because the longer it lasts, the more dangerous the situation becomes and the worse the cost of living here at home.”
He added: “It is a discussion; we are not at the point of making decisions yet. Obviously it is a difficult question, needless to say, in relation to how to safeguard maritime traffic… But we are discussing that with the US, with the Gulf partners and with the Europeans.
“We cannot allow the war in the Gulf to become a windfall for Putin. It is now clear that the US operation has greatly weakened the military capabilities of Iran’s loathsome regime. The question is: what comes next?”
Ministers have been alarmed by Trump’s apparent lack of a plan to end the conflict, but Starmer – who spoke to the US president on Sunday night – said the UK “must not lose sight” of the fact that there would ultimately have to be a negotiated settlement.
He said his decision not to join the initial US offensive had been a matter of principle. “Principles, which I believe are shared by the British people, that our decision must be based on a calm and sensible assessment of the British national interest.”
After oil costs soared following the outbreak of conflict with Iran, Starmer announced that households relying on heating oil to heat their homes would receive £53m of government support to help with their bills.
He said low-income households would receive targeted support, while heating oil suppliers involved in price gouging would face legal action and future market regulation.
The prime minister said he was not ruling out broader government support for energy bills if costs had risen when the cap came to an end this summer, but suggested it was difficult to predict where oil prices would be and de-escalating the conflict should be the priority.
The government has come under pressure to do more to help people across the UK who are worried about the cost of their energy bills when the current energy price cap ends at the end of June, with the new level to be announced in May.
Gas and electricity bills are expected to rise sharply when the cap ends, and if the conflict in Iran drags on, they could rise even further. Starmer said his “instinct” was to help people struggling with the cost of living.
But he added: “I’m not going to sit here and pretend that we all know what the situation will be in three or six months. We don’t. But the best way to do that is to de-escalate and reduce conflict, because that’s the most effective way to address the cost of living.”
The Prime Minister underlined his commitment to investing in renewable energy to give the UK more control over its own supply, despite criticism from his political opponents.
“We should go further and faster on renewable energy. Let’s take control of our own energy, so whatever happens in the world, we control what happens in this country,” he said.
“I think for a lot of people who say, ‘By whatever means you do it, take control of the energy, so you don’t have to keep worrying about my bills going up and down,’ I want to get to that point as quickly as possible.”
