LONDON — The U.K. will host a fresh round of talks with non-U.S. allies on how to unblock the Strait of Hormuz next week, a British official with knowledge of the planning said Friday.
Officials from 41 countries are due to convene for the first time since U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran, said the official, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal plans.
Trump has piled pressure on NATO allies to present their own plans for ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait. In a Thursday meeting with Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump gave those present the impression he wanted concrete actions from allies as soon as possible, three people briefed on the meeting said.
However, the next round of talks hosted by the U.K. will be at a more junior level than the first round on Apr. 2. While foreign ministers attended that first set of talks, the next will involve officials at the level of political director.
The official quoted above declined to say which day the talks would take place, but said they would follow multinational working groups in which practical solutions will be drawn up.
Britain expects the talks to explore economic and political measures, such as sanctions and working with the International Maritime Organization to free ships trapped in the Persian Gulf.
The U.K. has insisted there can be no tolls on shipping through the vital waterway, through which normally travels around a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas. Defence Secretary John Healey said Thursday that Persian Gulf nations agreeing pay-per-passage tolls could set a precedent that would be ”used and abused by others elsewhere.”
Trump floated the idea of the U.S. being involved in charging tolls earlier this week. After international backlash, he posted on Thursday night: “There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!”
Starmer said Friday that he had briefed Trump — who has aimed several recent jibes at the U.K. — on the plans in a Thursday call. The prime minister said the coalition of nations was “working on a political and diplomatic plan, but also looking at military capabilities and the logistics of actually moving vessels through the Strait.”
