British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed concern over the continued closure of the Iranian-controlled Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump announced a military blockade of the waterway would begin on Monday afternoon. 

Mr Starmer, in a X statement, added that the lack of freedom to navigate is damaging. He noted that the UK is collaborating with 40 countries to find ways to ensure ships transit the strait freely again following the U.S.-Israel military campaign in Iran. 

“The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is deeply damaging. Getting global shipping moving is vital to ease cost of living pressures. The UK has convened more than 40 nations who share our aim to restore freedom of navigation. 

“This week the UK and France will co-host a summit to advance work on a coordinated, independent, multinational plan to safeguard international shipping when the conflict ends,” the British prime minister said on Monday. 

Despite the two-week ceasefire agreement between Iran and the United States to temporarily halt hostilities last week, there have been limited movement through the strait, with Iran reportedly demanding up to $2 million per ship for safe passage, a move that Mr Trump opposed.

Over the weekend, Vice-President JD Vance and Iranian officials met in Pakistan but both sides failed to reach an agreement. Mr Trump said Iran would not “give up its nuclear ambitions” while Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi blamed “shifting goalposts” from the U.S. 

Mr Trump has also accused Iran of blocking the Strait of Hormuz despite an agreement promising to open it, stating that the U.S. military will start preventing ships from entering and exiting Iranian ports. 

“The United States to blockade ships entering or exiting Iranian Ports on April 13 at 10:00 A.M. ET. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” said Mr Trump on Monday.