Starmer: “We will not be drawn into the wider war”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed Monday not to let the U.K. be drawn into a “wider war” over Iran as President Trump calls on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war. We will keep working towards a swift resolution that brings security and stability back to the region and stop the Iranian threat to its neighbors,” he said at a press conference.

“I want to see an end to this war as quickly as possible, because the longer it goes on, the more dangerous the situation becomes, and the worse it is for the cost of living back here at home.”

As the U.S. and Israeli-led war on Iran enters its third week, President Trump has demanded that other countries help the secure the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes.

“I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory, because it is their territory,” he told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday night. “It’s the place from which they get their energy. And they should come and they should help us protect it.”

Prime Minister Starmer said his primary focus was on protecting “the British interest, no matter the pressure,” while maintaining that the war needed to end and the strait needed to reopen.

“We’re working with all of our allies, including our European partners, to bring together a viable, collective plan that can restore the freedom of navigation in the region as quickly as possible and ease economic impact,” he said.